The Ambassador
by ThatOneChick'98
Summary: Kriss wins the Selection and America is stuck between a rock and a hard place. When Italy calls with an adventure of a lifetime, she takes it, but will her new life lead her away from the palace she loved, or closer to it? Will she learn to love again?
1. Chapter 1

The Ambassador Ch 1

 **AU Note: So, I haven't done a fanfic in a while. But I had an idea. So, be patient as I try to pick back up writing and the subtle art of writing fanfics.**

 **As always, these characters are not mine. At least most of them aren't. Most belong to Kiera Cass.**

 **Summary: Kriss wins the Selection and America is stuck between a rock and a hard place. When Italy calls with an adventure of a lifetime, she takes it, but will her new life lead her away from the palace she loved, or closer to it? Will she learn to love again?**

There are some moments that you know will change your life. This, I knew, was one of them. When Maxon slipped the ring, my ring, on Kriss' finger, when I stared at nothing with that smile Maxon had forced me to wear, I knew that things were changing. And I knew that the smile, that fake but beautiful smile, would never fall. I would always wear the same expression.

"America?" someone put their hand on my knee from where they were kneeling beside me. For a second, I thought that it was Maxon, but the hair was wrong. Bright red hair, wrinkles around her face. I knew that face.

"Mama?"

"Hey, darling. Let's get you out of here."

She wrapped her arms around me as she led me from the packed throne room. I could hear the king's shrill laugh behind us, laughing at a joke in a proud moment for his son. Simply laughing at a joke. And me.

"It's okay, darling. It's fine. We've got you."

"We?"

My mother pushed me around the corner, and there stood my family. Kenna with her newborn, Gerad's arms wrapped around her, and her husband behind her. May had her arms wrapped around her, and seemed rooted to the spot without her natural gaiety. Kota wasn't there, thank God. Dad was dead. My family stood in front of me, without the income from the Selection, without the titles of the Royal Family, just simple Fives dealing with the loss of their father. And spoiled from the money they wouldn't get anymore. We were worse off than we were before the Selection. We were sucked into the majesty that was the palace, had grown used to the money that meant no more nights of hunger, no more too-small clothes and shoes.

Maxon had not just taken away the palace or his love. He had taken away the ability to provide for my family, a family that needed that provision more now than ever. And he would pay for it.

 _Transcript from_ The Today's Show, _a satirical show based off of the politics of the Illea State. Hosted by Phil Nensom._

 _Nensom:_ So, you all Lady America Singer, right?

 _Audience:_ Yeah.

 _Nensom:_ You know how she fell off the face of the Earth, after the end of the Selection? Well, she's back. Back and better than ever. At the wedding of Prince Maxon and our newly-minted Princess Kriss, she showed up. Apparently to the surprise of everyone. Sources say, and even Lady America says, that she was not invited to the wedding because people thought she would throw a fit at the wedding, asking him to call it off, marry her, something like that. She didn't. Instead, she threw another sort of fit, by totally stealing the spotlight from Princess Kriss. I mean, this woman threw the kitchen sink at the couple. She wore a bright red, almost scandalous gown, but it wasn't scandalous in the traditional sense. One newspaper said this, "Lady America wore a red gown fit for a queen, not a princess, and certainly not for a lady. It's elegance and simplicity were entrancing and the mermaid fit showed off all of her curves and, at the same time, mimicked Priness Kriss' own wedding gown" (NEW TIME, 2338).

 _Audience:_ Oooohhhh.

 _Nensom:_ You can say that again. We have a picture of her wearing the dress.

 _Screen shows only the picture:_ _America in a mermaid-style dress the color of blood, her long hair dazzling in the light of the cameras, and her eyes staring with predatory mischief._

 _Nensom (with the picture still the only thing on screen):_ The dress was a show-stopper, but what else she did made it even better. She gave interview after interview after interview. And when she wasn't, she was talking with Lady Celeste, another Elite, or dancing with literally anyone that would. This woman wasn't there to cause a scene. She was there to _be_ a scene.

 _Camera goes back to Nensom's face to show him a lot closer than before:_ I missed you.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Nensom backs away:_ Whatever happened between the engagement and the wedding might have been a big change for the Prince and Princess, but I think the real change is with Lady America. We're used to her being bubbly and hilarious, and we certainly saw that during the interviews at the wedding, but we are starting to see a different side of her that I don't think anyone saw coming. She's getting back into the public sphere. For what, we don't know, but I don't think it's going to take very long for us to find out. See, during one of these interviews, when asked what was next for her, Lady America simply replied that she was leaving the country for a while to visit a friend. After a lot of pushing and pulling from the reporter she told him that she was leaving for Italy the next day to talk to the Royal Family there. We at _The Today's Show_ don't know what you, Lady America, are up to, but we certainly wish you luck.

 _Nensom:_ We got a great show for you today, ladies and gentlemen.

 _Audience:_ *applauds*


	2. Chapter 2

The Ambassador Ch 2

AU Note: Obviously, these talk shows are based off the talk shows we have nowadays. This is not a plagiarism thing, but a way for you to know what the type of shows are about. This chapter is a good 2 months after the wedding of Prince Maxon and Princess Kriss.

 _Transcript of HELLEN, a talk show hosted by Hellen._

 _Hellen_ : Well, I shouldn't have to tell you who my next guest is, but, in case you've been living under a rock the last two months, let me introduce her. She was a member of Prince Maxon's Selection, but then came back to the public sphere during his wedding in a brilliant move. The next morning, she left for Italy, where she has captured the public through Italy's social media outlets. She spent her time there learning about Italy, politics, and just generally having some fun. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce Lady America Singer!

 _Audience:_ *applauds*

 _Lady America Singer walks out on the stage, wearing tight khakis and a light green blazer (a fashionable recognition of her past as a Five)._

 _America:_ Hello!

 _Hellen and America embrace and sit down._

 _Hellen:_ Wow! Wow! Look at you! You look fabulous!

 _America:_ Thank you! My mother actually picked it out for me.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Hellen:_ Your mother? She's got good taste.

 _America:_ She does, thank God. I literally just got back from Italy so I had to just change and come here.

 _Hellen:_ Well, I'm thankful for you doing that. But, let's talk about Italy, because…to say the least, you've been busy.

 _America:_ Yes, I have.

 _Hellen:_ When you were there. First off, you were there for two months, and the first week was just a tour of Italy, by some really impressive tour guides. Tell me about that.

 _America:_ Well, first off, when I got to Maxon and Kriss' wedding, I had no idea that I was going to Italy. When I got to the wedding, I did a couple of interviews and then one of the women who helped the Selected during the Selection gave me a phone. The Italians offered to have me come, but they wanted it done right away. They had a jet in the area, so they had it land, one of the flight attendants went into the airport to get me a new outfit to change out of my gown, and I was off as soon as the reception ended.

 _Hellen:_ You had no idea that you were going?

 _America:_ No! The interview that I gave where I told everyone happened about five minutes after I knew. I hadn't even told my mother.

 _Hellen:_ You were so grounded, weren't you?

 _America holds a finger to her lips:_ Shush! I think she forgot.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Hellen:_ So, you went. And you actually got on the plane at the same time the newly-weds got on theirs. And you managed to grab a bigger crowd of photographers than them.

 _America:_ Yeah, apparently it was like a big thing for a member of the Selection to leave the country.

 _Hellen:_ Then, you spent the first week you were there getting a tour from whom?

 _America:_ From the Royal Family of Italy. All of their kids were there: three daughters and a son. And the mother was there for half of it. Obviously, the king couldn't get away from his duties, but while we were in Rome, he would clear his schedule for a family dinner with us.

 _Hellen:_ That's pretty incredible!

 _America:_ It was amazing, yes.

 _Hellen:_ So, tell me. What did you all do?

 _America:_ So, obviously, it was a tour so we went to some of the big cities: Rome, Florence, and Venice. We spent a day on the Amothei coast. They got me attached to social media.

 _Hellen:_ Which, by the way, has made a rise of kids going to the library so that they could log on and keep up with what you are doing.

 _America:_ Apparently!

 _Hellen:_ Let's talk about one of these posts. It wasn't one that you posted yourself, you were just tagged in it. The Prince of Italy Prince Benedict posted this picture of you and him in an Italian club with the caption: "So glad that some of us are still single and free." Now, this caused quite an uproar around the country because Prince Maxon and Princess Kriss had literally just gotten back from their honeymoon.

 _America raises her arms like "What are ya going to do?_ ": I still don't see what caused the uproar. It wasn't like Maxon was going to take me back, he had just gotten married. It wasn't like I had stepped into the dating scene too soon because most of the Selected were engaged within a few weeks they were thrown out of the palace. How am I so different?

 _Hellen:_ I don't know. I couldn't tell you, but it did rub people the wrong way. Part of it was, I think, that many did think that you were going to win the Selection.

 _America:_ I'll let you in on a little secret: so did I. But, you know, maybe it was for the best. They say hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I think that's right.

 _Hellen:_ Why do you say that?

 _America:_ Well. I loved Maxon, but there were certain things that we didn't see exactly eye-to-eye on. It wasn't anything really. It was just the way we were both raised. I was raised as a Five and he was raised as a One. We both take pride in that, and there's nothing wrong with it, but it did affect our relationship in a way that I don't think either of us saw.

 _Hellen:_ That's understandable. The castes are so different that relationships could seem difficult.

 _America:_ Exactly. He's always been in the foreground, but I was raised in the background. I wasn't used to having my love life put out there with me having no control over how people saw it. You know, Five, Sixes, Sevens, and Eights, we've been taught how to disappear. How to blend in and just be background music, to only be there when called and then shrink back into the shadows.

 _Hellen:_ And of course, when you shrink into the shadows, you need someone to look out for you so that you don't always stay there even when you need something.

 _America:_ Exactly.

 _Hellen:_ So, while you were in Italy, you got some training to do just that, it seems.

 _America:_ You're correct.

 _Hellen:_ And this training is quite hefty. The Italian Royal Family says that they took the foundation of what you learned from the Selection, but added on a great deal. These lessons included, and I quote from the Royal Family's report: "lessons in politics, contemporary issues, diplomatic relations, foreign policy from all countries, law, war strategy, Italian language, world cultures, geography, and, not to mention, an in depth look at every situation in Illea whether economical, political, class, gender, and diplomatic relations."

 _Audience:_ *Applauds*

 _Hellen:_ Wow! That's a lot to learn in two months.

 _America:_ It is!

 _Hellen:_ What are you going to do with that?

 _America:_ Well, nothing yet. The Italian family keeps hinting that I might need these things later on, but I have no idea what it is.

 _Hellen:_ Well! I think we've run out of time, but I think I speak for everyone when I say what a privilege it was to have you on the show. Ladies and Gentlemen, Lady America!"

The moment I stepped off the stage, my phone started ringing, "You just couldn't stand it anymore? Missing me that much, Ben?"

"Come on, bella. You know I love you too much to be away for more than fifteen minutes."

"My Lord! How will I sleep?"

"I could think of a couple of ways to help you sleep."

My breath stopped in my throat, "Oh? If I remember correctly, I wasn't allowed to have the best of those ways."

"Not until I know—"

"I know. Not until you know for sure that I'm not doing it to forget Maxon. I know."

"Yes. And when I know…"

"Yeah?"

"You'll be standing in a puddle of your own creation."

Oh, but I already was. "You mean I'll throw-up? Do you look that bad shirtless?"

"Piccolo diavolo."

I laughed, "How did I do? In the interview?"

"You did brilliantly, mio caro. Just a couple more little interviews like that and—"

"I know what we need. I'll get it."

"Looks like you're halfway there." There was a pause on the phone, "Mio caro, you can quit at any time. You don't have to do this. I know that Illea is your country—"

"Ben. I want to. I want to, okay? I want a future for Illea like the one that Italy has. I want a future with you, and I want to show Maxon…I want to show him that I'm better without me. He took that ring from me like you take a doll from a child. He ruined us for a punishment, and threw us away like we were a toy."

"I'm sorry, Ami."

I took a breath, "Just a month."

"Just a month. Then, I'll be there with you."

I smiled, "What will you do until then?"

"Pine and dream."

"Sounds like I've got you completely wrapped around my finger."

"You do, you piccolo diavolo."

I hummed, "Good."

"We'll make things right, Ami. I promise you. We'll help them into the nation they were meant to be."

"I know we will. With you by my side."


	3. Chapter 3

The Ambassador Ch 3

 _Transcription of_ the Late Show _, hosted by Galan Skyward_

 _Skyward:_ My next guest has entranced people of all castes; her revolutionary use of social media helps us get to know her and the world around us. I am privileged to have as my guest: Lady America Singer!

 _America comes out wearing a short light blue dress and dark blue blazer._

 _Audience:_ *applauds*

 _America:_ Hi! How are you?

 _Skyward:_ I am fantastic! And I know that you are good.

 _America:_ Better than good.

 _Skyward:_ Well, obviously! Let's talk about what you've been doing. Tell the audience what you've been doing.

 _America:_ Well, when I was in Italy I got to meet all of these different people from all over the country, and I realized that I can't say the same for Illea. I was either in Angeles or I was in Carolina, so I decided to go on a little tour of the country. So, I've been going to different cities and just picking up whoever I wanted to have dinner with.

 _Skyward:_ And then you take a picture with them and post it on social media. And these people have been from almost every caste.

 _America:_ Yes, I haven't gotten a One yet, but we're working on it.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Skyward:_ Let's talk about social media because obviously you have connected with people through that.

 _America:_ Yeah. One of the privileges that they have in Italy that we don't have here is that they have such easy access to people through social media, so since I haven't seen the country I realized that others haven't either, so it seemed natural that I would help them see at least a little of it.

 _Skyward:_ Which is what you did in Italy as well.

 _America:_ Yes.

 _Skyward:_ So, let's talk about Italy. You've talked before about the tour that you took and the pictures from that, but let's talk about some of the others. There are pictures on there of you all going out to clubs during what would have been past curfew for us, there are pictures and videos of you in what seems to be pretty precarious positions.

 _America:_ Drunken precarious positions. There's a difference. And Italy has a lot less taboos than we do. There it's more scandalous to cut spaghetti with a knife than to be drunk or sleep next to a man. They don't think it's indecent to walk in on someone when they're changing or touch them. Here we're very wary of people getting too close to us, but there it's perfectly normal. Which has led to some pictures that here are viewed as scandalous and over there are viewed as perfectly normal.

 _Skyward:_ Yes! Your pictures often seem to point out the differences in cultures. But, there's a couple that I want to talk about, and it's this one.

 _The screen shows a couple in bed wrapped around each other._ _The woman is Lady America and the man is the Prince of Italy. She is laying on her side snuggled up to his bare chest and he has his arms around her._

 _Skyward:_ So, this was taken by Princess Nicoletta, but then uploaded to your social media accounts. Can you fill in the crowd as to who that man is.

 _America:_ That's Prince Benedict, Nicoletta's twin brother. He helps her with some of the diplomatic relations of the country, but will not inherit the throne. The throne will go to his sister.

 _Skyward:_ And you all are…?

 _America:_ Dating.

 _Audience:_ *cheers*

 _Skyward:_ Wow! So, you went from a prince to another prince.

 _America:_ Well when you put it that way it sounds so bad. Listen, we had each other on the ropes for a long time before we ever started dating.

 _Skyward:_ So, explain to us what happened because the other picture I have is…well. Should we just show it?

 _America:_ I think I know what it is. Go for it.

 _The screen shows a picture of a corner in a dark club, where a couple (Lady America and Prince Benedict) are entangled again. Lady America is backed up against the wall and has her legs wrapped around him. Prince Benedict seems to be whispering something in America's ear and her head is against his shoulder._

 _Skyward:_ *smiles* What is going on here?

 _America:_ I think you know good and well what is going on in that picture, Mr. Skyward.

 _Audience:_ *laughs* *someone in the audience wolf-whistles*

 _Skyward:_ So, knowing that these pictures started showing up on various social medias, all of them the Royal Family's, tell us how this relationship came to be.

 _America:_ Okay, well, first of all, there's something you need to know about Ben: he's highly annoying. I got off the plane, and he had one of those mini confetti canons and he popped it as soon as I got off the plane. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the moment I knew I was going to marry him.

 _Audience:_ *laughs and cheers*

 _America:_ Obviously, I'm kidding, but I did know that the trip was going to be very interesting. So, the rest of the trip it was like a battle of the wits and apparently everyone saw that we were going to get together, except us. And we both had our reservations. I thought it was too soon to be going after someone new, even though it had been two months already and I would have been okay with getting into a relationship, and he thought I was still a heart broken puppy. He actually called the trip my "Post-Selection beginning life crisis".

 _Skyward:_ So, Prince Maxon kind of separated you all for a while.

 _America:_ In a sense, yeah. He did. But not for long.

 _Skyward:_ So, what happened that it changed both of your minds?

 _America:_ Um. Liquor, probably.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _America:_ No, seriously. That picture was the first time anything happened. We were drunk, dancing, and ended up with the picture of us in the club, and then the next morning brought the other picture.

 _Skyward:_ And I'm assuming that Italy doesn't have the same laws that we do.

 _America:_ Oh, no. No. That wouldn't ever happen in Italy. Birth control is relatively easy to get your hands on, no matter your economic situation, so they don't really have any need for those kind of laws. And many Italians believe that the government doesn't have any right to intercede on something so personal. What you do with your body is what you do with your body there, and no one can try to stop that.

 _Skyward:_ I see. So, your relationship with him has no bounds that you all would have here.

 _America:_ Exactly.

 _Skyward:_ So, considering that you have dated two princes in two different countries. What do you think is the biggest difference?

 _America:_ Um. I would probably say that the biggest difference is the freedom like we were talking about. With Maxon, he took care of me and my family and gave us the security that we needed at the time, but it came with restrictions. You had to stand up straight and you couldn't wear pants and you couldn't leave the palace. With Ben, none of those restriction apply. No one in Italy really cares about those type of things. If you want to wear pants, wear pants for God's sake. If you want to go for a night out on the town, they'll grab the door for you.

 _Skyward:_ That's fantastic. So, when will you see him again?

 _America:_ He's supposed to come in a week and spend a couple days here and then we'll go back to Italy.

 _Skyward:_ Well, thank you very much for coming to talk to us. I appreciate it.

 _America:_ Thank you for having me!

"Clara?" I called.

The small brown haired woman that Ben hired as my manager bounced forward with eager energy.

"I've already talked to the Prince about sending out some more appropriate photos of you two. He says they'll be up tomorrow so that they don't look quite as much like a counterattack," she said in Italian.

"Good. Thank you." I replied in the same language. "Do me another favor?"

"Of course."

"Send Kriss a flower bouquet or something. I knew I smelled a trap the second I got in here."


	4. Chapter 4

The Ambassador ch 4

I woke up wanting him. My sheets in my hotel room were wrapped around my legs and my heart pounded in my chest. I needed him, more than I needed anything else.

I pounced for my phone, turning on the lamp on the way. I had his contact up before I could even think. I stopped for a second, doing the math of the time change. He would still be up.

"Ami," he picked up after a couple of rings. A door closed behind him.

"I interrupted a meeting, didn't I?"

"No."

"Liar. Will they miss you?"

"Not as much as I miss you."

I sighed, thinking of how much I missed him and the disaster that had been Kriss' interview attack, "Ben…I think we fucked up."

"No, bambino,"

"We should have at least taken those pictures down."

"There's nothing wrong with those pictures. We talked about this."

"I know, but—"

"Ami. They're going to fall in love with you. But only if you be yourself."

"You should write a self-help book."

"Mio caro, I'm serious. I feel in love with you easily. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Going to a homeless shelter. They needed some help with the meals and the shelters are a good way of gaining support from the lower castes. Making sure they know that I'll take care of them."

"What are you wearing?"

"One of your shirts," I smiled slyly.

I heard his sharp intake of breath and had to rub my legs together. I was going insane, I was sure of it.

"Piccolo diavolo. Not now, to the shelter."

"We were thinking something official, but now I'm thinking something that puts me on their level. Something they would wear."

"That will work. If we need to later on, we can dress you up."

"Hmmm. I miss you."

"How much?"

My voice was a breath, "So much."

"Bambino…Just a week. Not even a week."

"I know."

"By then, you need to have more support."

"I know."

"Ami, if you don't, we'll have to stop the plan. I'm not going to endanger you anymore than we have to. I know we have the plan, and it's a good plan, but you'll be in so much danger."

"I know."

"I can't protect you from some of it."

"I know."

"If anything happens to you…"

"I know, Ben," I soothed, "I know."

"We set up the meeting with them."

"Them?"

"Both the king and the prince."

"Neither of them are going to like the proposal."

"Yes. Well. They'll have to get over that, now won't they? Remember, bambino, we have what they want, not the other way around."

"Illea is a pretty big country to be pissing off. They have armies and money and resources. If they needed to, they could be totally self-sufficient, Italy can't. If we piss them off enough to start a war, it could be devastating."

"What are they going to say is the reason for the war? Coersion? They're not going to admit that we tried to pull their leg. What could be another one? We stole you? That can be easily brought down. No, they wouldn't go to war. And we are not dependent on them for anything. The worst thing they can do is throw you in jail and take you from us. That would be…excruciating, but we could get you back. Bambino, you have nothing to worry about. Do your part, and in a week I'll be by your side."

"Just a week."

"Just a week."

I was nearly jumping by the time the door of the plane landed on the tarmac.

Brown curly, unruly hair popped up in my vision and it didn't take a second for me to be in his arms. We collided about half way up the stairs, his arms around me and my head digging into his chest. Then, we were both talking to each other in such rapid Italian that neither of us could tell what the other was saying. He took my face in his hands and kissed every inch of it he could reach.

The cameras beneath us snapped away, but neither of us cared.

I took his hand and pulled him down the staircase and onto the tarmac. Before we knew it, we got into the back of the limo, and his bags were thrown in the back. The driver had already put up the divide before we got in.

"You look so beautiful," Ben said into my mouth, kissing it firmly now that we weren't in public.

I gasped as his hands drifted, "I like this one. Want to know why?"

He hummed against my neck.

"You can't wear panties with it."

He growled softly, "And what about a bra?"

"You can wear that, even that special one."

"The one I love?"

"That's the one."

He gulped, withdrawing from me and looking around, "How long will it take to get to the palace?"

"Not enough time for what you're thinking and to look like we hadn't just fucked in the back of a limo."

"Not fucking," Ben got even closer to me, "No. In fact, we wouldn't have to worry about me not looking presentable."

"Oh?" I was breathless.

His hands landed on my thighs, drawing them apart, "No. I would look completely presentable. You on the other hand…"

He kneeled down on the limo floor and drew my legs over his shoulders, "May I?"

"Yes. God, Ben…"

"Stay quiet, mio caro. We don't want anyone to know, now do we?"

"Ben!" I gasped as he licked a line up, flicking that bud he knew so well. My fingers tangled into his hair as he drew it into his mouth, his hand going to my opening. He pumped two of his fingers into me easily and I mewled at him. His fingers were so much bigger than mine and it had been so long since the last time.

The first time he had done this was a wall away from his whole family, when he had backed me up against a kitchen counter in their aunt's house and I had to grip the edge to keep upright. After that, going down on each other was second nature, both of us wanting as much intimacy as our positions allowed us, but we had never crossed the line. He said the day he knew, without a doubt that I was over Maxon would be the day that we made love. Oh, but he had told me what it would be like. When I had my lips wrapped around his cock and his fingers were buried in me, he told me exactly what would happen. He would make sure I was so wet that I couldn't walk without feeling it drip down my leg. Then he would bury himself in me and not let me go until I was so sated I couldn't keep my eyes open.

He had promised me, countless times, and the thought of that pushed me over the edge.

"They're going to know that you've been a bad girl, aren't they, Ami?"

I was a puddle on the seat, chest heaving and dress still pulled up around my hips. He gave me one last kiss on the lips before wiping his mouth off with a hankerchief. He handed it to me, and I cleaned myself off before fixing my dress.

"And you call me a little devil," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out a mirror to fix my hair and makeup. It was useless. "Forget it. I'm going to look like I was just ravaged before seeing my ex." I thought about it, "That's not a bad time to be ravaged, when you think about it."

Ben chuckled and I smiled, "You still have lipstick on your face."

"Announcing His Highness Prince Benedict of Italy and Lady America Singer."

Ben helped me out of the car and I wrapped my arm around his as we made our way up the stairs to King Clarkson and his family.

"Prince Benedict, it's a pleasure to meet you," Clarkson clasped Ben's hand and turned towards me, "And a pleasure to see you again, Lady America."

He smiled at me, even though I knew it was a lie. He would rather me fall down dead on the stairs than enter the palace again. "And you, too, King Clarkson."

Ben smiled, "Yes, I appreciate you letting us stay here and to meet with you."

"Of course, of course. Come meet my family. This is my wife, Queen Amberley."

Queen Amberley wrapped me in a hug, and I melted into it. This woman could have been my mother, and I still felt like she would have liked me to be so, "Welcome back, darling."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

King Clarkson went on, ignoring his wife's obvious pleasure that I was there, "And this is my daughter-in-law Princess Kriss and my son Prince Maxon."

Kriss, forced by her mother-in-law's actions was forced to hug me, "So glad to see you, America."

"Did you get my flowers?" I asked, and she frowned at me a little.

I turned towards Maxon and gave him a hug as well, "It's good to see you, Maxon. Married life seems to be treating you well."

I smiled up at him, but the look on his face told me he hadn't forgotten why the two of us weren't the ones married. But, I was okay with that. In fact, I was okay with him. I was okay with him not choosing me, him leaving me to take care of my family because Ben took care of all of us. I still hated that he had thrown us away, but now there was no us to throw away. Things were just as they are, and I couldn't keep holding that against him, against me.

"I heard the reports and saw the interviews, but I guess now I really have to admit it," Maxon said.

"Admit what?" I asked, stepping out of his hug. As always, Ben's hand came up to rest on my back.

"That you're with him."

I smiled up at Ben, who was beaming at me with pride, "Yes, I am."

"Well," Queen Amberley said, "Let's go inside. I'm sure the two of you would like to freshen up before the party."

The family led us into their palace as Ben leaned towards me and whispered, "Tonight."

"What about tonight?" I asked.

"Tonight is the night I make love to you, mio caro."


	5. Chapter 5

The Ambassador Ch 5

"This is your room," Maxon opened the door for Ben, "America is just down the hall."

Ben smiled and grabbed my hand, "This is big enough for both of us. Don't you think, mio caro?"

"I think it'll do," Ben pulled on my hand, but an arm shot up to the door frame. Maxon's arm.

"I don't have to remind you the laws of this country, correct? I know they can be restraining."

So, he had seen my interviews. Interesting. "Okay. Sure. Tell me, Maxon. Which one are you going to get: a police officer or a preacher?"

His hand slid down from the frame, "The banquet starts in thirty minutes. I suggest you spend your time productively."

I closed the door softly.

Ben frowned, "He doesn't sound like the man you talked about."

"No. I didn't seem like himself. He sounded…he sounded like his father."

"That's…not good."

"It would change some things."

"What do you think? What happened to him to make him change that much?"

"I think…I think me."

"Not everything can be tied to you, Ami. You don't have that much power," Ben said. He wasn't being condescending, he was trying to soothe me, trying to make me feel better about the mess that I had made through one stupid decision.

"I think I did," I whispered, "One of the most powerful men in the world was in love with me, and I think I might have broken something in him."

Ben held my face in his hands, "Bambino, it's okay. It was a nasty break up, I'll give it that, but he's a strong man, he might need some time, but he'll get over it."

"What makes you think that?"

Ben smiled, "Because you did. You looked right at him and didn't look like you wanted him, didn't look like you loved him."

"Because I look at you like that now."

"Mio caro," he groaned and gave me a deep kiss.

"Did you mean what you said to me? About tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight, I make you a woman."

"Why wait 'til tonight?" I asked, backing him up towards the bed.

He sat down, "I won't have enough time to properly bed you. I want all the time I can get."

I was on fire. I palmed the front of his pants, feeling how much he wanted to be improper, "You might not make it through the night if you keep thinking of us fucking."

He gulped, realizing where my line of thought was taking me. His hand was already gathering my hair together, "Maybe you should give me something else to think about."

I had him out of his pants and in my hand before he could say anything else.

"Bamb…" his mouth fell open when I put my mouth around him. His breathing got faster and he gripped my hair tighter. I loved him like this. When my mouth was around him and he couldn't think. When I cupped his balls and he started to shake. When I licked up his big shaft and he groaned. When I took him in deep and his hand tightened on my scalp.

"Bambino," he managed to get out, "So deep. So good. Oh…Just like that. Just like that, bambino. You feel so good. God, tonight will be a dream. When I can finally press you into the mattress, when I can watch your mouth fall open with pleasure. When I can make you scream. Bambino, you better hope that these walls are thick, otherwise everyone will hear you."

I let out an involuntary moan around him.

"I know, amore. I know you would love that. To let everyone hear just how much I love you. To let everyone know that you are mine. To let everyone know just exactly how well and how often I can make you come."

He finished in a choking gasp and I took as much as I could get.

"Piccolo diavolo," he said finally.

"Well, you're welcome then," I said, getting up to get changed for the event. Ben stayed on the bed, laying back in his dress shirt and his pants still around his ankles.

He watched me as I stripped from my day dress and slipped into a pair of panties. I stared at him for a second, "What?"

"How wet are those panties going to be by the end of the night?"

My breath stopped, "They're already drenched."

He gulped, "I could…"

I smiled, "We don't have enough time, Ben. And I've already had mine a divider away from a Royal limo driver. That's one for the record books."

"You really like the idea of someone having to listen to us, don't you?"  
My eyes flashed back up to him as I stepped into my dress, "I wouldn't mind it."

He growled, but I ignored it. I shimmied the dress up my chest, "Help zip me up?"

"I liked the gold one better," he said, referring to the gold dress without a back and not much of a front either.

"We're trying to look like we don't fuck each other in the most improper places ever. That dress wouldn't help."

"I don't see why it wouldn't."

"Ben," I looked over my shoulder at him, "We are the most appropriate, principled, and mannered couple that there ever was. We aren't coming back up here to fuck later on, and I definitely didn't just suck you off minutes before going to a banquet with the Royal Family in attendance. We are going there to charm the pants off the politicians, eat some strawberry tarts, and try to tell the world that we are a proper couple able to take care of a country. That's all you need to know."

Ben looked sober for the first time since he got off the plane, "I love you so much. Especially when you talk like that."

I scoffed.

He kissed my shoulder before zipping me up the rest of the way, "I'll behave. For an hour."

"The banquet is three."

"Two hours, then."  
I growled softly as he hugged me from behind, "Fine. I'll behave for two and a half hours because you asked, but then I'm grabbing your ass as much as I want to and letting your ex know that you are undeniably taken. Whether you want to stay for the other half hour or take me upstairs is completely up to you."

"You really don't understand what we're trying to do here, do you?"

He hummed, "I understand that I have a beautiful girlfriend that I haven't seen in a month and want alone. Everyone at that banquet will understand that I'm a little…desperate."

I walked out of his arms before he convinced me to skip the banquet. I went to the makeup table and put on red lipstick before braiding my hair into a French side braid.

I looked at myself in the floor length mirror. This dress had a low back, but not one as scandalous as the gold dress, and the sleeves on the green dress came down to my wrist to make up for the back in propriety. If Kriss was trying to brand me a slut, I would give her the opposite. I looked like a stylish, but proper lady.

In the mirror, Ben came up behind me. He had his tux on now, and with his unruly hair he looked like a bit devil-may-care. I loved that man.

"Last chance, bambino."

"People will notice that we aren't there." I walked to the door, and said in Italian, "Don't you want to show me off?"

He growled lowly, before grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the party.

"And this is my beautiful girlfriend," Ben said, when he saw me coming behind the politicians. "I was just telling them all about you. only the good stuff though, of course."

"This must have been a short conversation then," I smiled at the men, "I'm America."

"We know, ma'am. My granddaughters have been keeping up with all of your social media. I find them on my computer all the time. I think it's the only reason that they come over anymore."

"I'm sure not!" I said, putting my hand on his arm.

He shrugged, "Either way, I think they would appreciate it if I got a picture with you. Do you mind?"

"I'll do you one better. I'll post the picture for you."

His eyes lit up, "That would be amazing."

By the time Ben and I left the man, he was giddy happy, showing everyone he could the picture that I took with him.

"Well, Lady America. I think he would marry you right now if you asked him."

I laughed at him, but was interrupted by someone grabbing my sides from behind. I turned around sharply and was met by a familiar face.

Celeste and I both squealed as we embraced each other, causing quite a scene.

"Look at you!" I grabbed Celeste's hand and twirled her, "You look beautiful!"

"Why, thank you!" she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Do you, uh, notice anything different with me?"

I stood back, looking at her from head to foot. She smiled, "Nothing, America? Really?"

She lifted her hand.

"Get. Out." I grabbed her hand again, looking at the ring, "That thing is huge! Oh my God, who?"

"Basketball player. He's tall and built like a lion."

"Really?"

She took both my hands and started swinging them in a sort of dance, "Including in the best way possible. But apparently all this will fall on jaded ears."

She extended her hand toward Ben, who graciously took it and kissed it, "Well, hello there, Prince Benedict."

"Lady Celeste. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so many things about you."

"All bad, I hope," she flirted back.

"Careful now, Celeste. Word has it, that man is taken and his girlfriend is a real bitch." I joked.

Celeste smiled at me, "I would be a bitch too if I had scare all the women away from him. And occasionally some boys, I presume?"

"Occasionally," Ben smiled back.

"Don't get cocky, now." I wagged a finger at him.

"No, mio caro. Not now."

Celeste put her hand over her heart, "Jesus, put a baby in me."

I shared her sentiments.

"I'm stealing your girlfriend," Celeste told the Prince of Italy, "I assume you can work the floor on your own."

Ben nodded, but Celeste didn't wait to see it as she dragged me off to a table, "Spill."

I leaned forward, "Where do you want me to start?"

Ben put his hand on the back of my seat, "I'm sorry to interrupt, ladies, but it's been two and half hours."

"Should I stand up for you?" I smirked at him. He looked desperate.

"You should leave with me." I wasn't going to argue with him. Not when he looked at me like that.

"Celeste, will you please excuse us?"

"Only if I get an invite to Italy some time."

"Of course."

"Then, you are excused to go fuck each other."

We were in our room before the minute was up. I slammed the door shut before Ben pushed me up against it. He reached down, raising the hem of my skirt before wrapping my bare legs around his waist, "Should I be concerned that Celeste knew we were going to make love? I thought we were pretty convincing."

"It's just Celeste. She notices things."

I keened as he rubbed up against where I wanted him most.

"We're both wearing too many clothes," Ben breathed against my neck.

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm thinking just the panties need to go. We can work around the dress and if I rip the panties off of you, I don't have to back away from you."

I moaned, "Can't get the dress dirty. And it's your sisters."

He scoffed, "Well, then it has to come off."

I laughed against his mouth, "Zipper, babe."

"Bambino…"

We got our clothes off pretty quickly, although we kept getting distracted by kissing whatever skin we had just uncovered. After we were both naked, I pulled Ben back up against me, but he shook his head, "Your first time won't be against a door, mio caro. I'm going to bed you like a proper man should."

I moaned, "Later then."

He laughed, putting his hands on either side of the door, caging myself between it and his body, "Yes, bambino. Later, I will fuck you against the door."

He led me to the bed and had me sit on it, "I've had so much time to think about how I want you."

"Ben!" my voice was hoarse and low.

"I thought go for the longest time that I wanted you beneath me, so that I could see every expression that crossed your face, but then I realized something. Do you want to know what it is?" He took his finger and purposely messed up my lipstick.

I sucked his finger into my mouth as an answer and he growled.

"I realized that if you were on top of me it would feel so much deeper for you and I would see every expression and your tits…your tits would bounce for me, wouldn't they?"

I moaned and he laid down on the bed, "Come here, bambino."

My mouth fell open at the sight before me and I had my legs on either side of him before I knew I was moving.

"Like pulling off a band-aid, bambino," Ben said, his hands on my hips and a concerned look on his face.

I positioned him at my entrance just like I had dreamed of doing so many times before. I sat down hard, "Fuck!"

A ripping feeling tore through me, but quickly transformed into the odd feeling of having something in me, having Ben in me. No matter how many times his fingers were in me, they could never prepare me for having that his large cock inside me, rubbing up against…everything.

I rose up and lowered myself onto him again, and moaned. Moaned louder than I ever have before, "Ben!"

"I know, bambino. That's it." He started grinding with each down stroke and my head fell back so far I had to put my hands back to brace myself against his thighs. That just gave me a better angle.

"You look so beautiful right now, bambino."

I looked at him with desperate eyes.

"Amore. Look at you. Listen to you! Dio, do you even realize you're making that noise? And your face. Bambino, you look so beautiful with your mouth open like that and your eyes that pleading."

I keened.

"That's it, bambino."

He flipped us over easily and I almost screamed. My head landed on the pillow, "Ben."

He slowed our pace, but went into me harder, deeper.

He talked to me in rapid Italian and I knew he was close, "Do it, Ben. Make us both come."

Ben knew what I was talking about and reached between us. The little button he found just needed one push with his ever-clever fingers and I screamed my release, bringing him with me.

We both sat panting for the longest time, our chests rising and falling next to each other.

"I think I'm going to die of happiness," I whispered.

Ben chuckled, kissing me again. Once. Twice. Deeper and deeper with each time his mouth came down on mine.

"Again?" I was astounded, "Don't we have a meeting tomorrow morning?"

He growled at me, "That's what coffee is for."

"Oh, really?" I teased.

"Yes. Making slow, passionate love to your girlfriend for the night. Then going to talk foreign policy with her ex."

I smiled, running my hands down my body and opening my legs farther for him.

He entered the space I had just made for him like he had more right to it than his own throne.

"I think you once promised me that I would be so tired I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open."

"Well. I always keep my promises."


	6. Chapter 6

The Ambassador Ch 6

"They're ready for you inside," the secretary smiled at us as we entered the king's study. The last time I was in this room, we were talking about the Italians and the king was figuring out how to get rid of me. Now, the Italians were my power and the king was still trying to get me off his back.

"Prince Benedict, I hope last night was to your liking," the king greeted.

Ben looked to me as I sat down in one of the chairs, "Indeed."

Maxon's jaw twitched.

"I understand that you would like to discuss some…diplomatic changes between our countries."

Ben's hand landed on the back of my chair, "Yes. Italy is interested in an alliance with Illea, but with some…conditions."

I looked up at him, smiling slightly. He pushed my hair behind my ear, "As you know, we were hoping for a certain candidate to win the Selection, and, to be truthful, so were a lot of countries. Unfortunately, she lost, but, considering how well she did after the Selection, we're willing to overlook the insult."

"Who my wife is or should have been is not an insult to any country," Maxon said, "It's a personal choice that should not have been dictated by anyone from outside of the relationship."

"Indeed," Ben agreed, "And, rumor has it, that is was a personal choice. Regardless of how you chose your wife, you will have to deal with the political backlash from it. Italy is happy to help with that as long as certain events are put into place."

"Which are?" the king asked.

"Mio caro?" Ben asked, walking to look out the window behind the king and Maxon. That walk was a power shift and everyone in the room knew it. Illea was dealing with me now, not him.

"Italy would like to start a sort of ambassador between the two countries, but instead of there being an Illean ambassador in Italy and an Italian ambassador in Illea they would like one ambassador to go between the countries. It gets rid of one of the middle men."

"And I'm assuming they already have someone in mind," Maxon crossed his arms.

"They do. Me." The king scoffed, but I was too focused on Ben, who whispered to me in Italian, _"My dear, you know how much I love it when you talk politics."_

I continued, "They've gotten me ready for a life in politics and I have stakes in both countries as well as large followings in both. I am the natural choice."

"Because they made you so!"

" _God, I could bend you over that chair right now."_

"That doesn't really matter now, does it?"

The Illeans both stayed silent.

" _Remember that one politics lesson that I ended up under the table, eating you out while you talked about Italian diplomacy?"_

"The conditions for the alliance are that I am the ambassador, that I get a caste raise fit for my position, and a residence near the palace. Fortunately, the last one is already taken care of."

Maxon's jaw tightened, remembering the house that he gave me for my family.

"Those are the conditions for the ambassadorship."

" _Last night I made love to you. Tonight, I'm going to fuck you. Which position would you like first?"_

"And the others?"

"A general phase out of the castes during Maxon's reign."

"You would like to disassemble our whole country for this? In about fifteen years, you would like us to start wrecking the cornerstone of our country for one measly alliance?"

 _"I would personally like you on your hands and knees, but maybe you would prefer us against the door."_

"No. We would like you to rebuild your country on a more suitable foundation in the next _five_ years."

"Excuse me?" King Clarkson's face was red.

"Certain things have come up in reports about you, King Clarkson," Ben said in English, "Certain things that Italy can't have associated with it."

Maxon looked from Ben to me, his eyes blazing.

Ben noticed it, "Mio caro told no one. She would never betray your trust like that, but since you looked at her like that, I'm assuming she can affirm our reports. Since Italy, to put it simply, won't –."

"Mio caro." Maxon looked at me again, "What does that mean?"

I tilted my head a little bit, "It means 'my dear'."

"I'm confused how that report makes you think you have the right to mess with the succession of my nation." King Clarkson said.

"We don't." Ben agreed, "But if you want this alliance for your country, you will hand over the throne within the next five years to your son."

Maxon was about to explode, even through his mask, I could tell.

"Maxon-."

But I was too late. Maxon's fist came down on the desk in front of him, and I jumped in my seat. Ben took a step towards me.

"You cannot dictate what our country does. These conditions aren't conditions, they're demands. This is cohersion, and, while we can't arrest you, we can arrest America. Would you like that? Would you like us to throw your girlfriend in a cell?"

This time Ben's jaw tightened, "You can't."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because there would be an uproar, not only with your lower castes, but your politicians, who spent all last night talking with her, laughing with her, posing in pictures with her which are now on her social media accounts. Right now, she's a beloved concerned citizen that has a huge backing not only in this country but in ours as well.

"You jail her, you'll have uprisings in your country and a war with ours."

Maxon breathed heavily through his nose.

Ben turned and smiled at me, " _How about I just pin you to bed stomach down?"_

I knew my face was warming, and if he noticed Maxon would realize what exactly Ben was talking about.

" _Maybe I'll just eat you out right here."_

I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

" _You can keep talking politics, if you want. I just think it would be much more fun with my head buried between your legs."_

"Will you speak English, please?" Maxon was irate now.

Ben smiled at him, "I don't think you want me to."

I interrupted before an argument could escalate, "I think you're forgetting what you're getting in this alliance. You're getting help in the New Asian War, trading with the Meditereaen, and improved diplomatic relations with other countries in Europe. Italy may be small, but it is far more powerful than Illea on the international stage. The big reason that you aren't more powerful there is because of the caste system. No one wants to associate their country with that. This alliance and the conditions that make it will help you succeed. The country will have growing pains, sure, but it's better to go through those with an ally at your back than to do it without one."

I stood up, " _Ben, shall we go?"_

 _"Yes, my dear."_

I grabbed his hand and turned back towards the Illeans, "You have 'til the end of today to ask us questions about the alliance, and the end of this week to let us know your decision. Have a good day."

(*&*) ?

Maxon found me in the gardens on our bench.

I was writing in a journal when I heard his foot steps, "Afternoon."

He was livid, "You do realize that Spanish and Italian are very similar, don't you?"

"I know. That's how I was able to learn it easily."

"So, you knew I would be able to figure out what he was talking about, didn't you?"

"I didn't think that you would care enough to try."

He scoffed, "Don't give me that, America. Don't talk to me like that."

I remained calm, "You don't control anything about me anymore. You should watch your mouth."

"I control your caste. How would you like to be an Eight, America?"

"Italy can get me out of the country, and then I'll be back to expensive food and lavish gowns," I tilted my head a little, still looking at him, "Of course, there will be the issue of rushing my citizenship there, but a marriage usually helps those things."  
"Is that what all of our discussions are going to be? You threatening me to marry a foreign prince while he talks of fucking you in front of me?"

"Not fucking me. Eating me out."

He scoffed at I smirked at him, "Do you not eat Kriss out? How boring your sex life must be!"

"I've had enough, America."

"No, _I've_ had enough. You chose her. I understand why you did, but you have to understand that now you can't control me. You have no say in what I do, who I bring into my bed, or what country I live in. You only have power over whether or not you are going to accept the terms of the alliance."

"You know he's never going to give up the crown that easily. He's never going to give up that power." He threw his hands up in the air and started pacing in front of me.

I took a deep breath, "Then…offer the Italians something else in exchange for more time."

"Like what? What do the Italians want that I have?"

I stood up, grabbing onto his coat and pulling him to a stop, my face only inches away from him, "Like I said, Italy has a lot of freedoms to offer someone of a low caste. If you were kind enough to pay for a couple of Eights to move to Italy and enough to pay for their first year in a new country then they might be able to give you five more years."

Maxon ran his hand through his hair, "Marlee. You want Marlee to go to Italy with you."

"We can take care of her there, Maxon."

He sighed, and nodded, "Yeah. You can. But, you have to get her from us first."

I took one more step closer to him, "If you want to stay off the throne, you will give us to her, and while you're at it, you can start shaping up."

Maxon was taken aback, "Excuse me?"

"I don't know what has gotten into you, but exploding in a meeting with a foreign diplomat isn't like you." I poked my finger into his chest at each word, "Shape up. Start acting like the man I told them about. Start acting like a king and not a little boy on his daddy's leash. You have a country to rule and a new wife to keep happy. Step up to the plate."

Then, I left him. Left him in a place that used to mean everything to us, but now meant nothing.

(*&*)?

We were invited back to the king's study within the hour.

I again took my place on a chair and Ben stood beside it with his hand on my shoulder.

"As you know," King Clarkson began, "We have some disagreements with the alliance, but we think we might have found something that will help soothe the compromise. My son, in all of his untrained youth, kept Marlee Tames as a servant in my household after making her an Eight."

I made myself look surprised.

He slid a paper onto the desk in front of me, "This is a document detailing how we are willing to let her give up her citizenship, along with her husband, and to support them both in their first year as Italian citizens."

I scanned over the paper in front of me, "And their accommodations? Their housing?"

"They will be given a town house in Rome."

"Near the palace?"

"Wherever they want."

"And have the couple signed off on these agreements? They want to leave the country?" Ben asked.

"They are willing to go."

My heart leapt, and I turned to Ben, "Ben?"

He gently took the paper from me, "What would you like in return?"

"Fifteen years 'til we transition the crown."

"You can have 8 years, that's it."

"Ten years."

Ben thought for a second, "Deal." He squeezed my shoulder and I covered his hand with mine breathing a sigh of relief. Marlee would come home. Marlee would come home to a brighter future, and I would have my best friend back.

"We have something else that might be tradable for more time," the king continued.

"And what's that?" Ben asked. We were both surprised. We had planned to bargain for Marlee, had planned before I even left Italy to take her back with me if she wanted to. But this was unplanned. This they had thought of without our prodding.

Maxon held a necklace between his thumbs and my sight narrowed only to it. Of course, he would. Of course, he would use my father against me, knowing that I would want it back.

Ben's hand tightened almost unbearably on my shoulder, "Give that here."

"In exchange for how much time?"

"Ben," I whispered.

"We shouldn't have to give you time for it. You should have given that to her the moment she walked into the palace!"

"Ben."

"We need more time, so how much will you give us? A year more?"

"Ben," I tugged on his arm, "Don't."

But, he wasn't listening. "Fine, you can have a year more. Give it to her."

Maxon chucked the necklace into my lap, and my hands clasped around it instantly, even though they were still shaking.

"We get eleven years instead of the original five. The castes will be phased out during mine and my child's reign. That's our final offer."

Ben's face remained stone cold, "Let's go, Ami."

He helped me up and to the door, with his hand on the door knob he turned towards the Illeans, "We'll bring your negotiations to the king. We'll let you know within the week's end, and we'll leave your palace by tomorrow morning. Have Marlee and her husband ready to go by then."

(*&*)?

"Bambino, what's wrong?" Ben asked, kneeling in front of me. He had led me to our room and had sat me on the bed, but I couldn't move, couldn't think about anything else besides what we had done.

"Ben…We fucked up. We fucked up big time."

"What are you talking about?"

"We shouldn't have…we shouldn't been together, shouldn't have started seeing each other."

"Bambino—."

"Don't you see what happened?" I grabbed the lapels of his suit. "We let them negotiate with what I wanted, and it got us Marlee, but we also gave up a card. A big one."

"What do you mean?"

"They know that they can get to you through me. They know that if I want something, you'll stop at nothing to give it to me."

"Of course I would, but—."

"Don't you see, Ben? You gave them a year, _a year_ , for a necklace. Because it meant something to me. What if the next thing is something bigger? What if it costs Italy?"

"Ami—."

"We have to stop seeing each other."

Ben almost choked, "Excuse me?"

"If we're not together they can't use me against you. They don't have any leverage over you. If you let me go…you're free from them."

"Ami, Ami." I couldn't look at him. Not until he pulled on my face to make me look at him, "America. Listen to me very carefully. He does not scare me. Do you hear me? If they can use you against me then let them."

"You don't –."

"I understand perfectly, bambino. I'm not losing you. Not to him. Not to politics. Do you understand? I will love you 'til the day I die. Nothing is going to change that. And you know what? Maxon knows that."

"How do you know?"

"Because men like Maxon and I don't get over having a woman as lovely and as loving as you and get over it easily. Even if we appeared to have broken up, he would know he could still use you against me. So, bambino, I see no reason to let him tear us apart than to give him the satisfaction. Do you want to give him the satisfaction?"

I remembered the laugh as my mother had dragged me from the engagement celebration. The promise that I had made to make Maxon pay. "No, I don't."

Bne smiled at me, "Good."

But I didn't want good. "Ben." I opened my legs giving him a clear view between my legs from where he was kneeling on the floor, "Fuck me."

His eyes turned darker immediately, and he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on my thigh. But I didn't want gentle either.

"No, Ben," he looked up at me and I whispered, "Make me scream."

He gave me a devilish smile, "Stand up and strip."

I stood up and unzipped my dress as he undid his pants. I waited naked for his next command, already dripping wet.

"Get on the bed. I want you to play with yourself."

I let out an involuntary moan. I sat in the middle of the bed, my hands instantly going to my nipples.

"That's it, bambino. Mio amore, reach down. That's it. Play with your clit. Shit, bambino. Look at you."

My head fell back on the pillows, "Ben."

"He's never seen you like this, has he?"

"No," I gasped out.

"Never touched you. Never kissed you there. I'm the only man that's ever tasted you, aren't I?"

"Yes! Only you!"

"Don't make yourself come, bambino. That's only for me now. You never have to worry about it again. I'll make you come as much as you like, as hard as you like, but only me."

I keened at his possessive words, knowing that only I could make him say these things, make him lose control of himself at the thought of not having me. Only I could make him feel the need to know he had everything I was. And he did. Just like I had everything he was.

I stared up at him, my mouth falling open and a noise I had never heard came out.

Suddenly, Ben was leaning over me, he knocked my hand away and replaced it with his mouth. I nearly screamed. He worked me with fast, hard strokes and my toes curled.

"Ben. Ben. Ben." I couldn't help but chant his name until it turned into a high-pitched scream.

The Prince of Italy, clothed in nothing, turned me over until I was on my hands and knees. "I'm going to make you forget your own name. But I need you to tell me it's okay. Tell me we're okay, Ami, and I'll fuck you so hard it'll be permanently imprinted on your brain."

I moaned, "Yes. Yes, we're fine. Better than we ever were. Now fuck me."

He entered me and I had to grip the sheets to not fall over. He was so big and went so deep, and he set a pace so hard and fast that I came a second time before the effects of the first had worn off.

"Fuck. Fuck, Ben. Right there. Right there."

The head board started hitting the wall, but neither of us cared.

I keened again as Ben lifted me up so that my back was up against his. My head fell back on his shoulder, and he started whispering to me.

"Look at you. You're so beautiful, Ami."

I looked over my shoulder at him.

"No one else gets to see you like this. Touch you like this. Not him, not anyone else. I get to fuck you. I get to make love to you. No one else. Do you understand? You're mine, bambino. Not his, not anymore. He didn't realize what he had, but I do. I do, bambino, and I'll never forget it."

"Ben," I keened as his hand went between my legs.

"One more time, Ami. One more time. Tell him that you're mine. Scream it to him, Ami."

My mouth fell open and within a couple more thrusts I screamed my release.

I must have blacked out because the next thing I felt was a soft, wet cloth between my legs.

"Hey, bambino," Ben whispered softly, "You scared me for a second. Was I that good?"

I groaned, holding my arms out to him. He tossed the towel onto the floor and climbed into my arms.

"I lost you, Ami," he chuckled into my ear, "Where'd you go?"

"Heaven, probably. I didn't know that was possible."

"What? The fainting or the pleasure?"

I sighed happily, "Both."

Ben smiled down at me, his eyes turning thoughtful, "Do you think…"

"What?"

"Do you think that eventually, I mean, not now obviously, but sometime in the relative future, I mean, depending on how relative you want it, do you think that we could maybe, possibly-."

"Marry?"

He took a deep breath, "Yeah."

I burrowed further into the bed, "Absolutely, but you better propose to me when you're not riding a post-orgasm high."

He smiled at me, obviously elated, "No. Not then, although I do plan on fucking you plenty between now and then."

"How many times?"

"Hundreds of thousands of times."

I hummed, "Sounds like you better get busy then."

He was happy to do so.


	7. Chapter 7

The Ambassador Ch 7

 _Transcript of_ The Daily Show. _Hosted by_ Tatum Noam.

 _Noam:_ So, Lady America and Prince Benedict just went back to Italy, and they kind of left the palace in a tizzy.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Noam:_ The royal couple – is it safe to call them that now? The royal couple? She's basically royal. Either way, the couple left, but with someone else we didn't expect. Let's pull up the picture.

 _A picture appears on the screen of America on the stairs of an airplane, reaching back for Marlee Tames._

 _Noam:_ In case you forgot, the blonde there, as well as the man behind her were whipped during the Selection. That is Marlee Tames, whose last name is now Woodwork. Her husband, Carter, and her were found at the Halloween celebration in a scandalous situation. Prince Maxon had them both whipped, since Marlee was technically the prince's property. They were then made Eights.

Rumor has it, Lady America spent her tour of Illea actually trying to find her friend. This theory does have some evidence to it. America first landed in Marlee's home province, where she had dinner with a homeless man. In fact, many of the people she had dinner with said Laddy America asked where she would find Eights in the province.

No matter what happened to reunite the two friends, it's clear that Lady America is sending the palace a message. _Noam raises a blurred middle finger._ When she got off the plane in Italy, she gave this inspiring speech to an adoring crowd. Let's listen.

 _The camera cuts to a clip of Lady America in front of a podium._

 _America:_ Today, we celebrate an accomplishment that shouldn't have to be celebrated in our time: a celebration of freedom. In a time when society should be free and love should be priceless, we see people who live in a world where love can cost everything. But it's a celebration none the less. Today is a celebration of friendship, of new countries, a free love, and new beginning, but mostly, today is a celebration of saying enough, of demanding the rights that you should never be denied.

 _Noam comes back on screen._

 _Noam:_ Wow. A clear message to the palace of her disgust for how her friend was treated. We at _The Dailly Show_ applaud her.

 _(* &*)?_?

 _Transcript of_ Last Week Tonight. _Hosted by Selton Sage_

 _Sage:_ New photos have come to light of Lady America and Prince Benedict's visit to the palace. Everyone have seen these pictures, but let's pull some up.

 _The screen shows a picture of Prince Maxon pacing with his hands in the air on one side and a picture of Lady America poking his chest on the other._

 _Sage:_ These pictures show an obviously irate Prince Maxon being put into his place by Lady America. These pictures were taken by a photographer who was crouching in the bushes. He has since been fired, but before he left, he told the world that Lady America had told Prince Maxon to "Shape up" and "Step up to the plate".

(*&)?

"You are not helping me," I gasped into Ben's mouth.

"I don't care," he lifted me onto his desk, dragging my skirt up my legs.

I looked at the TV, "I should know what they say about it. It could…" his hands made it between my legs, "It could…"

"It could what, bambino?"

I shook my head, trying to clear it, "It could affect diplo…oh."

"That good, Ami?"

"Yes!"

"What were you saying, bambino?"

"F-fuck. Who cares!"

I worked on his belt and he chuckled into my neck, "I figured that's what you would say."

(*&*)?

"Please be appropriate," Nicoletta pointed her pen at both of us as we sat in the chairs in her office.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Nic."

Her glare was scathing, "Your both lucky part of the family found you two instead of the politicians. It's an image I won't be able to get out of my head, but we were lucky."

"You loved it," Ben teased.

"You're annoying," she turned to me, "He's annoying! Why do you date him?"

"You were the one that caught us in the closet, NIc," Ben leaned forward on his knees, "You know exactly why she's with me."

Nicoletta's face turned bright red, "Behave at the dinner party or she won't have that reason to stay."

Ben paled, "Yes ma'am."

(*&*)?

Ben and I laid on our bed with not a stitch of clothing on. The floor was dominated by boxes of books and clothes. A TV precariously perched on a small table blared commercials at us, but neither of us were really watching it.

I grasped the new sheets, leaning my head back onto the unfamiliar head board.

Ben's tongue twirled around my entrance and I keened.

"You taste so goo," Ben said, his hands wrapping around my legs.

I laughed before he did something with his tongue that made it impossible to think.

"What did you eat today?"

"What?" I gasped out.

"You taste so good. I could stay here all night."

"You could do that anyway," his fingers replaced his tongue as he smiled at me.

"I suppose you're right."

(*&*)?

"It's one trip, baby. I'll be back before you know it."

"Are you sure you need to go? Just send a couple letters."

"Ben. I'm leaving you for five days. We've done a month apart."

He groaned.

"I'll make it up to you," I whispered, "All tonight. You won't know which way is up. I'll give you five days' worth."

His eyes darkened.

"You like that idea?"

He nodded, "I love it when you're like this. I love it when you're horny."

From that moment until I had to go to the airport, we did not get out of bed.

(*&*)?

 _Transcript of_ HELLEN. _Hosted by Hellen._

 _Hellen:_ I'm very pleased to welcome back to the stage a social media sensation as well as our ambassador to Italy.

 _Audience:_ *cheers before Hellen can finish the introduction*

 _Hellen:_ She has a large fanbase from all over the world and not to mention an adorable love life. Please welcome Ambassador America Singer.

 _America comes out on stage in a flowy green gown and flats._ _She embraces Hellen before sitting down._

 _Hellen:_ Hi! How are you?

 _America:_ _America:_ It is, but I keep telling myself it should be over with. I've been back in Illea for three days. I'm going back to Italy in two days

so good!

 _Hellen:_ So, you've been back in Illea for three days now. Does it feel different to you now that you've lived overseas?

 _America:_ It does feel a little weird. Mostly because I haven't eaten spaghetti since I've been here.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Hellen:_ Do you get tired of Italian food?

 _America:_ No! Never. Because you always go to different restaurants and they all kind of do it differently, and it's always some great-grandma's secret recipe or something like that. So, it keeps things interesting.

 _Hellen:_ I bet. And you've been living in Italy for how long?

 _America:_ It's going to be two and a half years now.

 _Hellen:_ Wow. And you've been doing a lot of diplomatic relationship between Illea and Italy for us, but there's one question everyone is asking. Italy insists, even in the treaty, that they only speak to Prince Maxon. Why is that?

 _America:_ The main reason is that Maxon represents the future of Illea. Eventually, the torch will be passed from his father to him, so Italy wanted to make sure that we were equipped for the future.

 _Hellen:_ That makes sense. And I'm assuming that you know Maxon better than his father so you would work better with him?

 _America:_ I'm sure it might have been a part of it, but Italy knows that eventually I would step down from the position, and someone with no experience dating Maxon was going to step up.

 _Hellen:_ That makes sense. So, speaking of visits and diplomatic relations, I've heard that this will be you last visit to Illea for a while. Can you tell us why?

 _America:_ *smiles* Well, Hellen. That comes with a story.

 _Hellen:_ *sits up in her chair* I'm so ready for this story.

 _America:_ Ok. Well, Ben and I, for the past year or so, have not really dealt with birth control. We weren't married, but we both agreed that we were going to stop taking it and just see what happened. We weren't really trying for a kid, but we decided that if a kid happened, then a kid happened. So, I found out I was pregnant-.

 _Audience:_ *goes wild. Applauding and cheering. _Camera scans the crowd as they stand and jump._

 _America:_ *puts her hands on her chest* Oh my God, thank you so much.

 _Hellen:_ Congratulations!

 _Audience:_ *Calms down*

 _Hellen:_ So, were you excited.

 _America:_ I was super scared. Ben and I had talked kids, and, yes, we had decided to stop taking birth control, but a doctor handing me the test results wasn't just talk. So, I was really scared that maybe we weren't ready, or maybe we were too young, and I started overthinking it. I decided that it was better to just tell Ben as soon as possible, so that night we went out to dinner. We were both really nervous for some reason, but I just thought, you know, that me being nervous made him nervous, right?

 _Hellen:_ That makes sense.

 _America:_ Yeah. So, we're at dinner, and it's really quiet. It's dead quiet because we're both just swimming basically in our nervousness. And at the same time we both say, "I have something to say." And then we're both like, "Oh, sorry. You go." "No, you go."

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _America:_ when I'm telling you that this was the most awkward two minutes of my life, I'm not kidding. So, we finally decide that Ben's going to go first. And apparently he had this whole speech planned out and everything. He knew exactly what he was going to do, but he forgot it, he was so nervous. So, he sits there in his seat for a moment with his mouth open, tryig to get this speech out, and he suddenly just gets on his knees and asks, "Will you marry me?

 _Audience:_ *erupts into cheers and applause again*

 _Hellen:_ So what happened? What did you say?

 _America:_ Well, when he did that I was so relieved and the restaurant was utterly quiet and he was so, so nervous and I thought, " _Oh, I think he's going to be okay with what I say!"_ So, naturally, I just blurted it out. I just said, "I'm pregnant."

 _Hellen:_ How did he respond?

 _America:_ He got So. Excited. He was still on his knees and holding the ring with both hands and waving them back and forward. He had his mouth open like he was trying to talk, but no words were coming out.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _America:_ And then I realized that I haven't answered him and the restaurant is still quiet, so I just say, "Oh, yeah. And I'll marry you." And then he fainted.

 _Hellen:_ Wait, he what?!

 _America:_ Straight out fainted. One second he was kneeling in front of me and the net, his head is on my lap.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Hellen:_ That's crazy! So, when's thewedding? When's the baby?

 _America:_ The wedding is in a couple of months because we didn't want to wait until the baby was born, but my mother refuses to let me be fat on my wedding day. It's not me being fat, but I don't argue with my mom. Then, the baby will be here in about eight months.

 _Hellen:_ Wow! So, what happens job-wise?

 _America:_ Well, me marrying Prince Benedict will make me a Princess. That's kind of frowned upon if you're representing another country and still hold citizenship in another country.

 _Hellen:_ Makes sense.

 _America:_ So, I will be stepping down from my post as Ambassador.

 _Audience:_ *aws*

 _America:_ You all are seriously the kindest people ever. I will miss you all too, but it is a conflict of interests. I will be taking on a different role in the Italian government.

 _Hellen:_ So, we won't see you as much.

 _America:_ Probalby not as much, but I will always still be around. And I'll always have an opinion when it comes to politics, so…

 _Hellen:_ We all know the palace will love that.

 _America:_ *smiles* they always do!

 _Hellen:_ Well, thank you for coming on the show and congratulations on everything!

(*&*)?

I was breathless, "God, what did you do to me?"

Ben laid down beside me, "Well, you're welcome."

"I'm serious. What did you do to me?"

His arm went to the other side of my head and he nuzzled his face into my neck, "I fucked you. Truly fucked you with everything I had."

"Oh God, don't start again," I groaned, turning onto my side. He pressed himself against my back, wrapping an arm around me.

"I can barely keep up with you these days. I love it."

I snorted.

"Seriously. I should knock you up more often if this is how much sex we're going to have."

"Enjoy it while you can. Soon, I'll be so big you won't be able to reach me."

"Hmmm. Not in missionary, no, but in others."

I stared at him over my shoulder. He met my eyes and I was turning towards him within seconds, my lips crashing into his.

"We have wedding planning tomorrow," he said, not stopping the kissing and grabbing a hold of my neck.

"You knocked me up and sent my hormones into a rage. You'll take the consequences."

I threw my leg over him and started to grind myself on him.

"Ben," I gasped, grabbing hold of his hand. He was already positioning himself. He slipped inside me eagerly.

"That's it, baby. Oh God, right there." I was out of control. I had no choice in how I moved or what I spoke. All I knew was the almost blinding pleasure and the man below me. My body wasn't entirely my own now and the hormones that came with that fact sent more pleasure through me than I regularly had. We had already had sex four times today: the first time waking up, the second time when I gave him his lunch in his office, the third time after he came home, and the fourth after his shower. I wanted him. All the time.

"God, baby. You look so beautiful. God, you're glowing and those sounds." Ben swallowed, "I thought I had heard all of your sounds, baby."

I made another for him.

"That's it, baby. Fuck yourself on me. Fuck. Yes, faster, baby. Oh God. Think about it, Ami. When you're like this everything is so intense. I can't wait for that baby to come out so I can put another in you."

I keened into his mouth.

"You would like that, wouldn't you? Not even big and round yet and you're already thinking of me trying to put another baby in you. Fucking you into the mattress, raising your hips so nothing falls out when we've finished."

I moaned. We both knew I was close and I started shaking with what was sure to be an intense orgasm.

"Think about it, Ami." Ben grabbed my face and made me look at him, then his hands drifted to my overly sensitive boobs, "Me fucking you and begging you to give me another baby."

I was finished there and then, my whole body clenching around him, utterly soundless in one of the most mind-blowing releases of my life.

(*&*)?

 _Trascript of_ The Late Show _. Hosted by Galan Skyward._

 _Skyward:_ My next guest is a common name in every household. He is the Prince of Italy. He married Lady America Singer, now Princess America Glowdonio, and is expecting his first baby in little more than a month. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome: Prince Benedict of Italy!

 _Benedict walks out onto the stage, shakes hands with Skyward and sits down._

 _Skyward:_ Wow. You know, I wasn't sure that we would be seeing you this close to your baby's due date.

 _Benedict:_ To be honest, I didn't think I would see you either, but America really wanted me to go. I'm here on a diplomatic visit, and I really wanted to cancel it, but America told me that it would make my job harder later on and that I should go now when we don't yet have the kid.

 _Skyward:_ That makes sense, but aren't you scared that you'll miss the birth.

 _Benedict:_ I'm pretty sure that the kid will still know I'm his father. As far as the birth, America is in really good hands. She's got Marlee, she's got Celeste who came over a couple of weeks ago. Her whole family moved over to Italy right before the wedding. She's got a hand every way she turns.

 _Skyward:_ That's fantastic that she has so many people helping her. Especially because pregnancy can be really hard on some women. How is she doing?

 _Benedict:_ She's done really well, I think. She would probably say differently, but I personally think she's the best pregnant woman out there.

 _Skyward:_ I'm sure you do. She's giving you a child and that's really exciting.

 _Benedict:_ I'm so excited. She keeps saying stuff like, "My back hurts." And I'm like, "I know! It's so exciting!" and she's like, "I look like a beached" uh, uh, uh…I don't know that word it's a really large fish.

 _Skyward:_ A whale?

 _Benedict:_ Yes! She says she's like a beached whale and I'm like, "Yes! You are! I know!"

 _Skyward:_ You've probably gotten into some trouble with those comments, haven't you?

 _Benedict:_ I've spent a couple nights on the couch, yes.

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Skyward:_ Well, I wish you all the best of luck with the new baby. Congratulations!


	8. Chapter 8

The Ambassador Ch 8

"Bambino?" Ben asked, our child in his arms.

I rolled away from him, not having the energy to do much else. He wanted to talk, he wanted to help, but I didn't have the energy to tell him what was wrong.

"Ami…" I felt so guilty for making him take care of the baby and me, "Mio caro, you need to eat something."

I stayed quiet. Ben sighed, putting down the baby on the bed next to me. Although he was a month old, he was still so tiny. It was hard to believe that I had screamed in pain to bring him into the world. He was asleep, a rare moment, and I slowly reached my finger out and rubbed it against his cheek. I didn't have the energy to take care of him like a real mother should. I couldn't get out of bed. Sometimes I was overwhelmed at the thought of what all I had to do, sometimes I was too sad to do anything but cry, but some things always remained the same. Ben was always trying to take care of me and Niccolo, the baby always needed attention, and there was always a visitor in the house.

"Has she eaten any today?" Ben asked someone. Marlee. I think it was Marlee's turn to try to get me out of bed.

"We got her to have some milk. That was it."

I didn't have to move to know that Ben was pushing his hands through his unruly hair.

"Can I talk to you? Outside?" Marlee asked.

They left, the floorboards creaking under their weight.

Niccolo shifted, his blanket falling away from his hands. He reached towards me, his little arm waving in the air. But I couldn't reach him, pick him up, or even move. His face started to turn red and blotchy and I knew he was going to cry.

And I was disgusted.

It was the cry that woke me up in the middle of the night, that made Ben unwrap his arms from around me, and leave. The cry that had left his side of the bed getting cold one too many times.

Suddenly, I did have enough energy, driven by my disgust and…hatred, to wrap my hand around his mouth to keep him from crying aloud then to close my eyes.

"America!" Ben's voice pierced through the haze of sleep around me.

He grabbed something from me. The baby, the baby that had given me so much pride and joy when he was inside me, the baby that now brought disappointment and disgust. Maybe if he was back inside me I wouldn't feel this way.

"What has gotten into you?!" Ben shouted as the baby started to cry.

My hand. My hand had covered the baby's nose as well.

I had almost killed my own child.

Ben stared at me as if he had never seen me before. Behind him, Marlee covered her mouth with her hand.

I started to cry.

Ben gave the baby to Marlee, "I'm calling the doctor. She's going to check you out."

(*&*)?

"It's perfectly normal. Many women develop post-partum depression after the child's birth. The hormones during pregnancy just haven't gone back down and returned to normal levels."

I stared at my feet. Ben had put flats on me before we left the house and I looked at the contrast of the black against the too white floors.

"So, what can we do?"

"The best thing right now is to give her a drug that will start to balance out her hormones for her. There are a couple that we can try to see what works best for her."

"Okay."

"The important thing to remember is that some of the drugs will not work as well as others. We will have to work on the best drug and dosage for her to be on. Until we figure that out, her behavior can be…erratic. Sometimes even unreasonable."

"We'll do it. I know Ami well enough to know that this is her own personal Hell. Whatever we have to do to get her back on her feet, we'll do it."

(*&*)?

"Ami? Are you ready?" Ben asked.

"Yes."

"We need to leave."

"I know."

He appeared in the arch of the door, Niccolo in his arms. Ben had already dressed Niccolo in his best clothes, although we both knew that the clothes wouldn't last very long.

"You look beautiful," Ben said.

I hoped so. It took a lot out of me to get ready.

"You don't have to come. If you don't want to."

"I have to, Ben. We both know it. Kriss and Maxon came to meet him, but they also came to see me. I'll go."

He nodded, "If it gets to be too much let me know."

I nodded and he kissed my cheek.

I got irrationally mad at him for a second before I was able to slam it out of my chest. Sure, he had held me while we slept, but a kiss on the cheek was the closest we had gotten to being intimate. But that didn't have the right to make me mad.

Ben's hand came up to push my hair out of my face, "The new drug seems to be working better. You don't feel like you're going to be sick?"

"No."

He smiled, "It probably was the pill then."

He extended his hand, the other still wrapped around Niccolo, "Let's go."

(*&*)?

"He's beautiful," Kriss said, leaning over to get a better look at Niccolo, "Oh my God, look at those eyes!"

I smiled down at the baby in my hands for the first time in a long time. He had his father's eyes, the dark almost black color of them framed in mischief.

"Thank you. When are you all going to have one of your own?"

Kriss scoffed, "Whenever it happens, but tonight isn't about us, it's about you and your baby. And my God, you did so well, America. Look at him," Kriss gently knocked her husband in the side, "Didn't she do well, Maxon?"

Maxon cleared his throat. I wasn't actually sure he had seen the baby. He was too busy staring at me. "Yeah. Yeah, you sure know how to make a kid, America."

I laughed a little, "Well thank you. Lots of hard work carrying this one around for nine months."

Ben came up behind me, "And now it's my turn to catch up with her. Mio caro?"

I gave the baby to him. He pecked me on the cheek and told me he was going to introduce Nic to someone else. Kriss, in full-blown baby craze, followed him.

It was then that Maxon willingly broke his silence, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You look tired. And sad. I'm not used to seeing you sad."

I stared at him for a while, wondering how he was still able to read me like that. Wondering how he was able to know, probably better than I did, that I wasn't okay. That I needed help.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Maxon took a step closer to me, "You know that if there's something wrong, you can always tell me."

And there he was. After years of fighting with him across the negotiation tables, after years of nothing but the shadow of his father, there was the Maxon I knew. The one I fell in love with.

"I still have some important papers in my office. I've been meaning to give them to someone, but never felt it was secure enough to ship them off. Would you mind taking them off my hands?" my hand was on his chest now, although I had no idea how it got there, "It would really help…lighten the load."

He gulped realizing what I was asking, realizing what I was doing. I prayed no one saw us.

"Yeah. Yeah. They would be pretty secure with me."

I had no idea what I was doing. No idea what had gotten into me, but I couldn't stop myself.

A part of me had to know. A part of me had to taste and feel and crave the man I tugged behind me.

The second the door to my office closed, he was on me, his hands already lifting up my dress.

"I could never stay away from you for long," he moaned into my neck, leaving a trail of kisses down it, "I've always wanted to do this. From the moment I laid eyes on you."

But the dirty talk was too much like Ben, too much like the husband parading around the ballroom with our son in his hands and a smile on his face.

I covered Maxon's lips with a finger, "Use these for something else."

He lifted me into his arms only to set me down on the bare desk. He lifted the skirt of my dress and ripped my panties off my body.

The sound set off something I hadn't felt in a long time: energy. Energy I had lost once my son left my body. Energy that woke me up after what seemed like a three-month long nap. Energy that gave me purpose and life.

"Oh, my God."

Maxon knelt in front of me in awe.

The first lick set me on fire. It had been so long, and Maxon's tongue and hands were so different from Ben's. I had thought that my sexual relationship with Ben was pretty adventurous and ever-changing, but feeling Maxon. That was something different. Something different and unexpected.

"Maxon," I gasped.

He entered me with two fingers and I almost came right there. He didn't start off soft and gentle like Ben, but with a full intensity and passion that left me bowing off the desk. His tongue swept hard and rough over my clit, going faster and faster until it felt like I couldn't take much more.

"Right there. Right there. Right there." My voice got progressively higher pitched and I had to hold onto his hand, desperate to keep it inside me as I came. It was probably the fastest I had ever come, yet it left me wholly unsatisfied.

"Pants," I ordered and Maxon's hand immediately went to his belt.

But he seemed to be moving too slow. I had slipped off the desk and onto my knees before I knew what I was doing, utterly ready to figure out if I could have the same power over Maxon that I did over Ben.

"Oh, fuck, America."

My mouth closed around him, my hand already pumping him.

The greedy man almost immediately took control, grabbing my hair and pumping himself into me like he knew for a long time that he wanted to do this.

I moaned around him, excited and filled with energy. He had thought of this. I did have this power over him, and being able to do that after marrying a different man, after having a child, after staying in bed for three months that made me feel alive for the first time in forever.

I knocked his hands out of my hair and lifted up his cock, sucking a nut into my mouth. No one had ever done that before to him. I could tell by the noise he made and how he grabbed me after I was done feasting on both. He shoved me against the door, my front pressed against the hard wood as he entered me from behind.

I gasped at the feeling of him. Even after a baby had ripped through me I could still feel every inch of him. His hands came to sweep my hair to one side before cupping my ass. His lips came to my neck, kissing it softly, a stark contrast between the hard and fast and possessive pace he started.

"Oh, God. Oh, God." My mouth fell open and I had to fight to keep the scream in me.

One hand held the skirt of my dress, while the other reached in front of me to keep me from banging against the door with each powerful thrust.

Maxon finished with one more commanding thrust.

(*&*)?

"We shouldn't have done that," Maxon said, pulling back on his pants.

I reached into my desk and pulled out a napkin to wipe myself. Some of his cum was still leaking out of me and I had to bite my lip as another wave of energy roared within me. I threw away the napkin after, and looked at him for a long second, "No shit, Sherlock."

I replaced my skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles and turning in front of the mirror to make sure there was no more evidence.

"I'm serious, America. That can't happen again."

"Was your first clue my husband or your wife or my kid?"

"All three."

I scoffed at him, too afraid to let myself process what had just happened.

I almost threw a stack of papers at him, "Here."

"What's this?" Maxon asked.

"The 'very important and highly classified papers'."

"This is a schedule for a couple of weeks ago."

"Did you honestly think that I still had papers?"

He looked at me for a second, taking me in, "You look beautiful."

I placed my hand on the door knob, "That's the orgasm talking."

Then, I opened the door and whatever Maxon was going to say couldn't be said anymore.

(*&)?

"Hey, bambino! I lost you!" Ben said, kissing me on the cheek again as I came up to him.

"I had to give Maxon the last of the papers I had. Good news: I'm officially an …unambassador? Ex-ambassador?"

He laughed, again kissing my cheek with so much trust in me. Most men would have been suspicious of me being alone with one of my exes, but Ben had faith that I would stand by him, that I wouldn't betray him. And the reality was sinking in that I had betrayed him. I had put my family in danger.

"I have something to confess to you," Ben smiled and took a sip of his wine, "Marlee totally tricked me into giving Nic up for the night."

I looked at my friend with my baby already tucked up against her chest. She smiled mischeviously at me, "Test run."

I raised my eyebrow at her.

She shrugged, "To see if Carter and I can handle a little one of our own."

I smiled a little at her, "Well. At least you already know his schedule."

Ben's hand smoothed my hair and for a second I tried to remember if I had checked it before I left the office.

"Hey, you okay?" Ben asked and I realized that I must have gotten the far-off look that had been permanently on my face for the last few months.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Can we go? I'm sorry, I'm just feeling a little tired." And a lot guilty.

Ben's face was instantly concerned and he draped his arm around my waist, "Of course, mio caro. Of course."

(*&*)?

"Are you okay?" Ben asked as we climbed into the car, but the instant the car door closed I was putting up the divider and crawling into his lap. I threw my hair over my shoulder, the opposite shoulder Maxon had pushed it to.

"I'm perfectly fine," I said, kissing him for the first time in a long time, "And not the least bit tired."

Ben was instantly turned on, but the concerned look on his face stayed, "Bambino, I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Why? Because I'm sick or because my body is different now?" I regretted the words as soon as I said them. Regretted letting him know my biggest fear, my biggest question. Even when I was still processing how I had just cheated on him.

Ben was confused, "What?"

I scoffed, crawling away from him, "Look I get it. My boobs are bigger, my stomach is bigger, my ass…God, don't get me started on my ass. And I have all of these stretch marks in places I didn't know I could get stretchmarks in. And I'm not sure what's going on down there, but I do know that it's not the same. And—."

Ben's confused face turned into one of intense passion and, although I could have gone on, his lips pressed against mine.

"You are absolutely brilliant."

I scoffed at him.

His hands came to either side of my face and he kissed whatever space he could, "You look stunning. I almost came in my pants several times tonight because of how exquisite you looked."

"Now I really know you're joking."

He laughed lightly, "Bambino, I love your body, especially with the changes. Even without the fact that you changed because you brought our son in the world, I think you've only grown hotter and hotter."

Now it was my turn to be confused, "Really?"

"Hell, yes." His hands travelled to my breast, "Dio, the other day when I walked in and you were feeding Nic with these…I almost fucked you right there with the baby in your hands. Just looking at them. They're so much bigger and just as lovely and bambino…"

He leaned down to kiss each of them before sliding down to my stomach, "And this. Mio Dio, the curves you have now could send any man into a tizzy."

I laughed at the absurdity, but he wasn't finished.

"You want to know my favorite change of yours though, bambino?" His voice seemed to drop another octave.

My mouth fell open, "What?"

He shifted me until I was again straddling him, kneeling on the seat as his hands came to my ass, "This. This." He groaned, "Your dress tonight frames it so perfectly, and do you know what I thought, Ami?"

I shook my head, entranced by his words.

"I thought about how much I wanted to spank it. And suck on it. And fuck it."

My mouth fell open, "We've never tried that."

"And we won't tonight unless you are absolutely sure, bambino. Are you ready for this?"

I nodded, "Ben. Make me feel alive."


	9. Chapter 9

The Ambassador Ch 9

I opened the door the third time the person knocked and was met by Marlee, holding Nic in her arms.

She quickly handed the baby over to me and pushed past me into the house, "I got no sleep last night."

I smiled at her, "Neither did I."

She stopped short and turned, "Really?"

"Really."

"Sit. Tell."

I laughed as Ben came out, his hair wet and wrapped in a towel, "She doesn't have to tell you anything, Marlee."

He kissed Nic's cheek before giving me a passionate kiss, "I have to get ready for work, are you good with him?"

"Yeah, we're good."

He kissed me again before leaving.

"Wow," Marlee said, sitting on the couch. She smiled jokingly at me, "Are you already trying to get pregnant?"

"Well. I just wanted us to go through it together now."

Her smile faltered, "What do you mean?"

I sat down next to her, "I was thinking, during the twenty minutes Ben got of sleep last night, and I came to a conclusion. You aren't much of a planner, as far as stealing someone's baby to see if you two are ready for a kid. But you are a type of person to get nervous and to steal someone's baby to calm your nerves when you realized you were pregnant."

Her hand was immediately on my knee, "Please don't mention it to Carter. I haven't told him yet. I just wanted to see, you know, before he knew if he would be a good father."

"And?" I put Nic down on the couch between us on his back. His fingers immediately wrapped around mine.

Marlee smiled, "He was fantastic."

My smile faltered, "Marlee…I'm so sorry."

She looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"You should have felt more than comfortable with telling me. I'm so sorry. I've been so wrapped up in me that-."

"Don't do that, America. You deserved to get better, and you deserved to get better in peace. Don't feel sorry about doing what you needed to do."

I couldn't look at her, but I nodded either way.

"At least we know what was missing in your pills."

I looked up at her, a questioning look on my face, but Marlee just smiled mischeviously at me, "A good orgasm."

"Marlee!"

"Seriously, I haven't seen you this love-struck since your honeymoon. What did he do last night?"

"He…well…."

"Tell me."

"He found a new hole to use."

Marlee's look was questioning.

"Marlee. A hole."

She gasped, her hand going to her mouth as she laughed, "Isn't that painful?"

"At first it's a little uncomfortable, but then after that passes…"

"Yeah?"

"Life changing."

Marlee laughed again.

"Marlee, I came at least seven times last night."

That shut her up, "Holy shit."

"Indeed."

"What brought that on?"

"Well, I wasn't wearing panties. And for some reason, that set him off." Of course, I tried to get the sound of ripping panties out of my head. I had not meant to provoke Ben when I dressed yesterday. It was only because of Maxon that I couldn't wear them.

"Well, then." Marlee said, "If that's all, I need to go on a panty strike."

"(*&*)?

I knew the energy and the needs well, and welcomed them completely after the bitter depression and emotions that came after Nic's birth.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

"I'm positive."

Ben was in awe and he knelt in front of me, before kissing my stomach, "Another baby?"

I smiled, "Yeah. Another baby."

(*&*)?

That morning, we didn't get out of bed for a long time. The hormones that came with the pregnancy had kicked in full force and Ben was busy enjoying them.

But this pregnancy was different from the last. Along with the hormones came intense morning sickness that I wasn't used to. It got to the point that it was understood that I wouldn't be into the office until about midday. The aches and pains came back with a vengeance and it seemed like my whole body was rebelling against me.

"Are you okay?" Ben said, smoothing my hair into a ponytail as I knelt near the toilet.

I wiped my mouth, "I'm fine. I think it's done."

"That's what you said the last time."

I got annoyed quickly, "Well, now I'm telling you it's done now. Happy?"

Ben straightened, "Don't give me that attitude, Ami."

And just like that, with that sarcastic order and his hands on his hips, I was on fire again. And Ben understood the look on my face, "Again? Bambino, I have to get to work eventually."

Yet, he led me to the bed and I had him out before he could say anything else.

"It's your baby making me feel this way. And don't pretend you don't love it. It's the best sex we have."

His mouth fell open, "Bambino."

"Ben. Fuck your wife."

He swung me onto the bed and I laughed as he crawled after me.

(*&*)?

"Okay. Let's take a look." The doctor said, smearing the cold gel onto my stomach. She took the wand and started moving it around on my stomach, "How have you been feeling?"

"Pregnant," I said.

The doctor laughed, "I meant emotionally, although I supposed pregnant can seem like an emotion sometimes."

"I'm good. A lot more energetic."

"Energetic?"

From beside me, Ben grinned, "She means horny."

The doctor laughed, moving the wand again, "That's pretty typical. Have you noticed any differences between the two pregnancies?"  
"There's been a lot more throwing up this time. And I'm showing a lot earlier."

The doctor nodded before squinting at the screen, "Well, this is probably the reason."

She turned the screen for me to see, "Those little bundles right there? Those are your babies."

"Babies?"

"Mrs. Glowdonio. You're having twins."

(*&*)?

"Are you ready to see your babies today?"

Ben was ecstatic, "We'll be able to figure out the sex today, right?"

"If you all want to."

Ben and I looked at each other, "Yeah, we'd like to know."

"Alright. Shouldn't be too hard to find those two now."

The doctor waved the wand around on my enlarged stomach, quickly finding the two people growing inside me, "There they are."

She turned the screen and my heart fell. On the screen, the two babies had their backs to each other, like they were watching out for each other. They weren't tangled up with each other like Ben and I always were. They looked like Maxon and I. Always defending each other. And that's when I knew that the twins weren't Ben's. They were Maxon's.

"A girl and a boy. Bambino, did you hear that?"

I blinked, trying to clear the revelation off my face, "Wow."

"She's so excited she doesn't know what to do."

(*&*)?

My last trimester was a mess of anxiety and stress. Ben, of course picked up on it, but thought it was just the effect of expecting two babies instead of one. But, I was constantly debating, constantly worrying. And when the babies came, my worst nightmare came true.

The first baby that came out, could have looked like Ben with her dark hair and dark eyes, had her brother not looked exactly like Maxon. The people in the room, my family, Marlee, her new baby, Nicoletta, and the rest of Ben's family didn't seem to notice or at least care. They were ecstatic to accept the babies into the family, happy that they were born healthy and beautiful. The only one that seemed to notice that the babies did not reflect their supposed father was the father himself.

When the doctor put the baby boy, now washed off and his blonde hair now gleaming in the sunlight, into Ben's arms, his eyes immediately went to mine. And I knew that he knew.

(*&*)?

The car was silent, except the gurgling of the babies. Ben held the baby girl, the girl that didn't have a name yet, and stared out the window. I looked down at the boy in my hands, Nic in his seat next to me.

"Was it good?"

"Ben."

"No, America. I deserve to know. A man fucked my wife and got not one but two babies out of it. I deserve to know. Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes. Is that what you wanted to hear? Yes, I did." If he wanted to know, then he would know. Even if it tore me apart.

"What did you do? I'm assuming it was during the ball. Where did it happen?"

"In my office."

"In your office?"

"On the desk. And against the door."

"Against the door?" he scoffed, "How could I forget. You always wanted to do it against the door."

I took a deep breath, trying not to cry.

"Did you get on your knees for him?" I shuddered a sob, "America. Did you get on your knees for another man?"

"Yes."

"Jesus, America."

I turned further towards him and put my hand on his knee. He pulled it away, "Ben. I'm so sorry. You know. You know what those pills did to me. I didn't know what I was doing."

"Bullshit!" his sudden scream startled the babies awake. They started crying and Ben roughly gave me the baby girl. I tried to calm them both down, one in each arm, "You can't use your illness as an excuse for cheating and ruining our relationship."

As the car pulled up to our house, we stayed perfectly quiet, the tears dripping steadily down my face, "Ben."

My voice was a whisper, but it sounded like a bomb. And it pulled Ben into action.

He opened the door, "I'm packing a bag and staying at the palace for now."

"Ben!"

"Don't call me that!"

I started crying more, "Benedict. Please."

"You need to accept the consequences of your actions, America. Don't call me, don't try to find me. You are still my wife, but you don't get any of the benefits of it. You will act like a proper princess, you will still look like the perfect wife. Is that understood?"

I tried to keep my arms from shaking, even as my shoulders raised up and down, "Yes. Yes, I do."

He left, closing the door behind him.

I stayed in the car, trying to collect myself when the driver opened the door, " _Ma'am? Would you like help getting into the house?"_

I realized that I was grossly outnumbered by children. Nic was just beginning to walk and couldn't possibly walk to the door. My hands were already full with the twins and I couldn't even open the door to my own home.

" _Please."_

The driver smiled at me, helping me into the house.

I found Benedict in our room after I had set the twins in their cribs. Nic sat on the floor in the babies' room, playing with some blocks.

I watched him for a second before going to his dresser.

"What are you doing?"

"You always forget socks," I said, pulling them out and putting them in the bag on the bed.

Benedict took a deep breath before letting me finish packing for him.

When I gave him the bag, he looked me over one last time, "Remember what you promised me."

Then, he was gone.

(*&*)?

I got the call a week after the twins were born. I was trying to get the little girl to bed when the phone rang insistently, waking her back up. She cried, waking up her younger twin and upsetting Nic, who played on the floor.

"Please. Please, stop."

I was tired and hungry and upset, but not from post-partum depression this time. I was alone, taking care of three kids and it was wearing me down slowly.

I stepped away from the crying children, knowing that if the sound stopped so would they.

"Hello?" I answered the phone and was immediately met by a hard voice on the other line.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Maxon?"

"I have kids, and you decided not to tell me?"

"Listen, Maxon. I don't have time for this. You don't have time for this-."

"I don't have any time because of this."

I stayed quiet for a second, "What do you mean"

"A picture started circulating. I'm not the only one that realized that the babies looked a lot like my mother and I. It's everywhere! On every news channel!"

I raced towards the TV, turning it on. Immediately, the news came up and in large, capital letters read, "ARE THE ITALIAN TWINS ACTUALLY ILLEAN?"

I took a shuddering breath.

"I have a press conference in fifteen minutes, America. What do I tell them?"

I covered my mouth with my hand, but it didn't stop the sobbing cry from escaping. I dropped to the floor, my fear and frustration and worry and sadness coming out of me in screams and sobs.

"America. You knew this was going to get out eventually. My father wants to deny it, but we both know this won't go away easily."

I screamed in frustration, "They are not your kids! You gave up your right to them when you fucked a married woman! Don't talk about them! Don't look at them! Don't think about them!"

"They're still my kids, America! I deserve to meet them!"

"Over my dead body, you fucking bastard. You'll never see them!"

"America, you're being unreasonable!"

"You tore apart my family!" I was sobbing again, my hands grabbing onto my hair, "My family!" I took a few more quick, gasping breaths, and whispered, "My family."

I folded into myself, putting my forehead on my knees. The other line remained quiet, obviously shocked by my outburst.

A small hand touched my leg and I looked up to find Nic, staring at me. I ran my finger against his cheek and he softly pushed my legs down so he could climb into my lap.

With my baby snuggled against me, trying in his own way to calm me down, I picked the phone up from the floor.

"You tore apart my family too many times, Maxon. Now, I'm tearing apart yours. You now live by one simple rule: deny, deny, deny."

Then, I hung up the phone.

(*&*)?

Within the next fifteen minutes, the news caster shifted to watch Maxon's live press conference. And I watched the father of my twins march onto the stage, papers in hand and Kriss behind him.

I watched to see what he would say. How he would put down the allegations. If he would tell people he was sickened by anyone thinking he would cheat on his wife or if he would calmly explain the situation.

"I'm sure a lot of you have heard the rumors surrounding Princess America's new twin babies and who their parents are. I am here to set the record straight. The twins that Princess America carried and gave birth to are…" he looked down at his papers and my heart caught in my throat.

"We'll be okay, Nic." I told the baby in my arms.

Maxon cleared his throat, "The twins are…" he shifted his stance and with it a hard gleam went into his eyes, "Mine. And they will not be taken away from me."

(*&*)?

"For God's sake, Maxon," Kriss put her hand over her eyes after they left the stage, the news reporters still raising hands and yelling questions.

"What?" Maxon asked.

"Do you realize what you just did? You put those kids in your line of succession. You gave them credibility and gave the Italians leverage over us. What are you going to now? Ship them across the ocean? Raise them yourself? I'm not raising that slut's children."

Maxon neared her, "If you want to keep your position in this palace, you will shut your mouth and do as you're told."

Kriss laughed, "Oh my darling, delusional husband. You can't divorce me. Just like America can't divorce Benedict. You sealed your fate when you chose me instead of her."

"What's your problem, Kriss?" Maxon was obviously hurt by her words, the words that had hung between them since their engagement, "What has gotten into you? Ever since those pictures you've been nothing but a bitch. Like you said, those kids don't affect your position here."

Kriss got quiet for a minute, and when she finally spoke her voice was low, "She always gave you better than I could. Didn't she? She loved you better, made you happier, and now…now she gave you not one but two kids before I gave you one."

(*&*)?

I sat up in bed as a baby started crying. Obviously, I wasn't the only one unable to sleep. The press screaming at the door never stopped. They made noise outside every night without fail, keeping me and the kids up and on edge.

It had been going on for a couple of weeks and I had been shut up in the house for all of it. My mother came and went, bringing in groceries and work from the palace and anything that could distract the kids from the growing crowd of press just beyond our doors.

"It's not going to go away," Mom said, cutting up some fruit for Nic.

"Nicoletta says to just hang on for a little longer. It will blow over soon. She knows what she's doing when it comes to this stuff."

"She knows what she's doing when all of her advisers are willing to give input on the subject."

"What do you mean?"

"Benedict," Mom almost spat his name out. "He refuses to help with anything that has to do with you or his children."

"Mom," she looked up at me, "The twins aren't Benedict's. They're Maxon's."

"You think I don't know that?" she threw the knife and cutting board into the sink, "He made a promise to you. For better or worse. This is the worst and he didn't stick by you. Look at you! You're constantly tired and worried and stressed. You're raising three kids on your own and he's not doing jack shit for you."

"What are you saying, Ma?"

"I'm saying that if he doesn't do anything for you, you need to do it for yourself. Do something. Start small if you have to, but you need to start making moves that let your kids grow outside of this house. You need to stop acting like this is going to blow away over time and start acting like someone has attacked your family. Because they have."

(*&*)?

The next day, I decided to take a walk with the kids. It was a beautiful day and the twins hadn't seen the sun since they had come home from the hospital. So, I strapped the twins into their double stroller and hoisted Nic onto my hip and left the house with my heart in my throat.

By Italian law, the paparazzi and media had to stay at least 50 yards from a person until she or he invited them forward to give an interview. But these were not Italian media. These were Illean media. Almost all of the people at my doorstep did not seem to know the laws of the land they were in, or they knew that the Italians couldn't enforce them. Not without endangering Italy's already tentative relationship with Illea.

So, they felt comfortable shouting and drawing near once we were away from the house. Away from safety, I realized.

Nic made a noise before hiding his face in my shoulder.

"I know, bambino." I whispered to him, "I've got you. Nothing will happen to you."

The twins, used to the screaming outside their window, shifted in their seats, but stayed calm.

"Princess America! Princess America!"

"Where's Prince Benedict?"

"Will you get a divorce?"

"Will you move back to Illea?"

They pressed closer and closer, pressing me and the stroller against a wall near the sidewalk. They stepped closer, shoving microphones an cameras at me.

"Please," I said, quietly holding up my hand to keep them from coming any closer. I should have known better. I should have known better than to take my children outside. I should have known that they wouldn't respect me. I was a Royal who gave an opposing Royal not one but two babies. It was the scandal of the century. And I had put my children in the middle of it.

My daughter shrieked a loud cry that pierced through the reporters' shouting, and I looked toward the front of the stroller. Paparazzi had pushed back the canopy of the stroller and were taking pictures of the kids, the bright flashes causing the twins to panic. Nic tightened his grip on my neck and I felt him shudder in sobs.

I ran to the front of the stroller, pushing the reporters out of my way. I pushed Nic as far into the stroller as I could before covering all three of my children with my own body. They continued pushing on my back, trying to get me out of the way. I hoped and prayed that it wouldn't escalate further, that the reporters would see what they were doing and calm down, but the lights still flashed.

I was still in that position when the police came, pushing the crowd of Illeans off of me and away from the kids.

But I didn't move until I felt him behind me. He pressed his hand against my shoulder, "Bambino? It's okay. It's okay, Ami."

"The kids."

"Are safe, Ami. They're safe now, you can let go of them. Bambino, you protected them. It's over."

It wasn't until I looked into his eyes that I burst into tears.

"I'm s-so sorry. I-I I thought I could do it. I thought I could protect them." The tears turned angry, "How could they do that? They're children! Children!"

I buried my head in Ben's chest and he held me there until the police he had brought with him gave him the okay to go.

"Come on, bambino. Let's go home."

"Home?" I lifted my head, too tired to stop my hopes from rising, "All of us?"

"Yeah. Yeah, all of us."


	10. Chapter 10

The Ambassador Ch 10

"I got the twins to lay down," Ben leaned against the door frame, "They're quite stubborn, aren't they?"

I smiled at him, nodding silently.

"Especially the girl…I'm sorry. I don't know their names."

"They don't have any."

"No names?"

I shook my head.

"They're two months old. You haven't named them?"

"I've been too busy and tired to name them. No name ever felt right. Like it fit them."

He stood by the door frame for another minute.

"Are you going to come in?"

"America-."

"He didn't make me come," I blurted, searching for a way to get him to stay. Any way. "When he went down on me, he kind of did, but it wasn't…"

"Go on."

I shook my head, "It was…halfhearted almost. It didn't last very long and it made me feel empty inside. Then, when he was inside me, he just finished. He didn't ask if I got off too or anything. He just…used me.

"You asked me so many questions, but you never asked that one. If I could have a million times with him I wouldn't trade them for a single time with you. Please, Benedict. He used me. But you… you make me feel whole. Please," tears were already pricking at my eyes, "Please. Don't leave me. I can't do this again. I will do anything you want me to, just please don't leave me! I can't take it!"

Ben's eyes darkened, "Anything?"

"Anything!"

He studied me for a second before straightening up, "I'm calling your mother to watch the kids for us. And you. You're going to get into the dress he fucked you in."

"Ben?"

"Don't ask questions, America. Just do it."

Within minutes, we were leaving Nic and the twins in my mother's hands, my gown kicking around me. Ben hadn't dressed up. In fact, his work shirt was unbuttoned, the tie gone, and his jacket on his arm.

The paparazzi was still there, although from far away. The police had put up a barrier around the house, but they were still able to take pictures of Ben and I climbing into the car.

I stayed silent the whole ride and even as Ben led me into the palace. It wasn't until we turned onto a hall that I realized what he was doing, "Ben-."

"I'm going to fuck his memory out of you. There will be no half-hearted orgasms with me, bambino. I'm going to make it so good you'll never want to see his face again. You'll forget his name, how he fucked you, how he ever made you feel."

He grabbed my hand, drawing me to him, "Can I fuck you, Ami? Can I replace those memories of him with ones of me?"

"Ben…" I closed my eyes trying to calm myself down until we got to my office, "You can fuck me any time you want to. I'm yours for the taking."

His eyes got even darker. God, I loved him.

We entered the office and he pinned my waist to the door, bringing his mouth down to kiss me for the first time in two months. It was scathing and hungry, all tongue and teeth and groans.

"What did he do? Take me through it, Ami." He didn't let go of my mouth as he said it.

"He, ohhh, he pinned me just like this." His mouth went to my neck, "He started telling me how he had always wanted to fuck me. Ben!"

He laughed, letting go of my neck, "What next, bambino?"  
"I told him to put his mouth to good use."

"And he went down on you?"

His hands started lifting my skirt and I could only nod.

"With you where? On the desk?"

"Yes, then I went down on him between the chairs. Then he pressed my front up against the door and took me there."

"Get up on the desk, bambino, and lift up your skirt."

I swallowed roughly, "Ben, I've just had twins. Down there is never going to be the same."

"Get on the desk, Ami. And spread your legs for me."

I followed his instructions, sitting just how I had with Maxon.

Ben sat for a second looking at me, "Take off your panties for me, bambino."

Again, I did as I was told, listening to the huskiness in his voice. The second I was splayed out for him, he surged towards me like he wouldn't live if he spent another second without his hands on my skin.

His hand automatically checked how wet I was, "Dio. You're soaking wet." His fingers entered me as his tongue went to my clit. He took several long, hard licks on it and I was keening, my head falling back against the wood of the desk.

The thumb of the hand that he had in me came up to take his tongue's place as I panted and moaned, my hands twisting in my skirt. "You like that, bambino?"

My answer came in a loud gasp, "Yes!"

"Better than what he did to you?"

"Fuck, yes!"

"Then tell him." I forced my head up, confused.

He reached into his pants and gave me the phone I thought I had left at home. "You always wanted someone to have to listen to us."

His hand picked up speed and I had to hold in a shout. Ben's hand withdrew a little bit, abating my orgasm while still making it hard to think, "Don't come until he's on the phone, bambino."

This was his plan. Not only to make sure that I knew Ben took care of me better, but to also make sure that Maxon knew it as well. And if I wasn't so far gone I might have said no, but it was so hot and from the way Ben's hand was moving I knew this orgasm was going to leave me a jumbling, shaking mess.

I dialed Maxon's private number quickly, little noises escaping as the phone rang.

Finally, Maxon answered, "America?"

"Maxon," I gasped and automatically Ben's hand returned full force.

I groaned automatically.

"America? Are you okay?" Maxon sounded concerned.

"Never better!" I gasped.

Ben's mouth latched around my clit.

"What's going on?" Maxon asked as my orgasm hit me.

"Fuck! Fuck! Ben!" I screamed.

I breathed heavily into the phone as the other line remained silent.

"Give me the phone, Ami. And get on your knees."

I had him out and in my mouth, moaning at the thick, heavy feeling of having him in my mouth. I cupped his balls as his hand lightly tangled in my hair, unlike Maxon's rough fist.

"She loves going down on me." Ben told Maxon and I moaned again, "That's it, mio caro. Oh God. She told me that you got a taste of what she could do. Trust me, my friend, it was just a taste, otherwise you wouldn't have lasted until the sex. She does this thing with her tongue that would drive any man over the edge. Fuck! Yes. That one, bambino. That's what I'm talking about." He paused for a second, "What were we thinking? We were thinking that I could show you how to make her properly come. One where she screams and shakes. Sometimes she'll even faint."

Ben grabbed one of my hands, "Up, bambino. I think Maxon needs to hear the sound you make when a real man enters you."

He had me up against the door just like Maxon, but unlike the hard, fast strokes Ben pushed into me slowly. I made a high-pitched keen.

"Fuck, Ben!" I was gone, my head falling onto his shoulder, even as the rest of me was pushed up against the door.

Ben's free hand reached around me, his fingers twisting in tight circles around my clit.

I shrieked.

"Every time you think of my wife now, I want you to remember the sounds you could have drawn out of her, but weren't able to. I also want you to remember that the last time you ever heard these sounds come out of her you were a thousand miles away from her and her husband was the one making her feel like this.

"One more thing, Prince Maxon," Ben put the phone up to my mouth and pinched my clit, throwing me over the edge.

I screamed before everything around me went black.

(*&*)?

I woke up in my own bed, Ben beside me.

"How long was I out?" I asked, turning over to face him.

He smiled at me, "You woke up right after I hung up on him. You told me to carry you to the car and then fell asleep. You woke up again enough to come inside and change into sleep clothes.

"I did?"

"You were half asleep when it all happened. It doesn't surprise me that you don't remember."

I blinked a couple of times. "We really did that. We really called the Prince of Illea and made him listen to us fuck each other."

"Phones work both ways. He could have hung up whenever he wanted. I think he was just too surprised to."

"That's not going to help diplomatic relations."

"It helped my relations," Ben said sarcastically.

I laughed, "Well, good for you."

I yawned, covering my mouth. When I looked at him again he looked…guilty.

"Mio amore?" I asked, concerned by his sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm so sorry, America." I pushed up onto my elbow, but before I could say anything his finger covered my lips, "I left you to take care of three kids by yourself, while working a job, and dealing with the media. You should have never been alone to do that."

"You took care of both Nic and I."

"But I had help. More than just your mom. That was before Marlee had her baby and when Celeste came over to help and…I shouldn't have left you."

"You're back now," I said, snuggling closer to him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. And I'm not leaving."

(*&*)?

 _Transcript of_ The Late Show. _Hosted by_ Galan Skyward

 _Skyward:_ New photos have sprung up surrounding what people are now calling the Twin Scandal. Princess America Glowdonio, the mother of the twins has not made any denials or affirmations as to whether the girl and boy born two months ago are Prince Maxon's. In fact, she has not made any statement at all. A woman renowned for her social media usage has stayed quiet, even avoiding face-to-face interactions. Until the pictures that showed up yesterday we have had no idea what has been going on. We don't even know what the children's names are!

But, when we saw the pictures…we were shocked.

 _The screen shows a sequence of photos starting with America walking down the street with a stroller to her bending over it to her wrapped in her husband's arms sobbing._

 _Skyward:_ There are no words that can describe these pictures. The Italian police responded to a call from Prince Benedict after he saw his wife on the television. When they got to the scene, the media had taken to pushing and shoving the princess away from her children to try to take pictures of them.

Regardless of whether people think that Princess America cheated on her husband with our prince or not, one thing is for sure: these pictures show a mother desperately trying to protect her children, and I think a lot of people can understand that and recognize that this altercation should have never happened.

The Italian government has certainly agreed with that. Early this morning Princess Nicoletta, soon to be Queen Nicoletta, gave the Illean press fourty-eight hours to get out of Italy.

 _Audience:_ *applauds*

 _Skyward:_ As an Illean and as a decent human being, I would like to send my deepest apologies to Princess America. This should have never happened.

(*&*)?

When Maxon exited the council room with some of his advisers, he wasn't expecting to see me there, blocking his path. When he stopped in the middle of the hallway, the men behind him screeching to a halt, we both knew he had fallen into my trap.

And it was a trap, carefully choreographed from the casual, hands-in-pockets stance to the tan pants suit reminiscent of my days as a Five to the scarf with the Italian colors on it.

"We need to talk," I said quietly.

"So we do," he replied before following me into the garden.

When we got to the bench, I turned towards him, not sitting down, "I need to make this quick-."

"So you can go back to fucking your husband with me on the phone?"

I had slapped him across the face before I knew my hand was moving, "You tore apart my family. You tore it to pieces and left to watch it burn from the safety of your own television, but you will always be responsible for it. So, I'll fuck my husband however much I want, and I'll tell both of you how good he makes me feel and how big his cock is until I have him back.

"You almost tore my marriage apart. A good marriage! One full of love and selfless caring. That call was me being a good wife for the first time in almost a year."

"If it was so good, then why did you invite me to your office."

"Because I was sick!"

Maxon remained quiet and for the first time we both got a look at each other. We both looked tired and stressed. The only difference was that the shadows under my eyes were disappearing and his were growing.

"I was sick, Maxon," my voice was barely a whisper as I divulged a secret that no one except my inner circle knew. "After Nicollo was born, I went through post-partum depression. I got help, but some of the pills had…side effects."

"And we were a side effect."

"If I had been in a good state of mind it would have never have happened. But it did. And now I have two more children to look after. So, I didn't come here as a wife or as a diplomat or as someone who fucked you. I came as a mother."

"Yeah? What does that mean?"

I took a step closer to him, "It means that I can threaten your whole existence. I can ruin your country and I will if that's what it takes to let my children go free."

"What are you talking about, America?"

"This, asshole," I shoved the piece of paper I had in my pocket into his chest. "Does that look familiar? It's your executive order to the media to go over and find anything they could on me and the kids and display it in front of the world. By any means necessary."

"And what does this have to do with anything?"

"It means that you have three options. The first is that you deny that you are the twins' father." Maxon scoffed, but I continued. "And you sign over the legal powers that you have over them over to me. That leaves your line of succession open for whatever devil child comes slithering out from between Kriss' legs."

"And the second?"

I took a step closer, "Kriss will never raise those kids as her own, and I would never let her. I would also be incapable of leaving my husband to raise the kids in Illea. Which means that whichever way you look at it, those kids will grow up in Italy and around the Italian Royal Family. With Italian ideas and freedoms and patriotic feelings. By the time Edylinna is able to take the throne of Illea, she will be more than willing to tear your country apart and build it new. You can count on it. She will never get behind the caste system or Illean politics or even her own father's game of manipulating the media. She will destroy it all without a second glance."

"Edylinna?"

"Yes. Benedict named her." Maxon's hands clenched at his sides, "Yes. That's another thing. If you don't sign over your legal rights, your heir will be raised by another man."

Maxon took a deep breath.

"The boy is Ahriono. If you wanted to know. Ben picked that one out as well."

"I will not have my kids calling someone else dad instead of me."

"It doesn't matter. Sign the papers, they call Ben dad. Don't sign the papers, they still call Ben dad."

"And what if I just take the kids away from you? What about that, America?"

"That's truthfully the third option. You sue us for your legal rights to your children and your heir and we show the court just how good you are as a father."

"What do you mean?"

"The order? 'By any means necessary' can mean a lot of things, but since the judge will most likely have seen the photos time and time again they will know that it means putting your children's lives in danger."

"Excuse me?"

"You sent a pack of hound dogs after them. Those reporters kept them up for days on end, sacrificing their well-being to broadcast my humiliation to the world. Then, those same dogs flashed bright lights into their eyes that could have very well ended up permenantly damaging their eyes as they develop, and finally, you are the one responsible for those media pushing up against us and almost trampling them in their hopes of getting a picture."

"You're delusional."

"And yet, I will win the case and your legal rights because you abused your children."

"That's a little far-fetched, America."

"Yet, it's a lot more evidence than you have against me. Who is going to take children away from their mother when she literally covered them with her body to keep them safe?"

Maxon took a deep breath. He knew I was right.

"We both know you can't take care of those kids, Maxon. Sign the papers."

He shifted his stance, "I deny those kids are mine and everyone will know that you came here just to deal with me."

I shook my head, "If anyone asks, I came here to show you a paternity test. That shows that the twins are Ben's."

He shifted, his voice so soft it broke my heart, "They're my kids, America."

"And as a father, this is the best thing you can do for them."

He took a breath of resignation, "What do we say happened to the test."

I took out a paper, "Doctor in Italy made it for me. He has also agreed to answer questions and confirm that I was in his office. I had an appointment set up with him, his assistant saw me go in."

"And he's not tied to the Italian government?"

"No. Nor do I have a personal friendship or relationship with him."

"And that test?"

"Is the official form filled out."

Maxon stayed quiet for a minute, "Where are the papers?"

And the trap sealed shut.

(*&*)?

 _Transcript of_ The Late Show. _Hosted by Galan Skyward_

 _Skyward:_ I am so happy to have my next guest with me. He has been in the center of one of the biggest scandals of our time and here he is to-!

I fixed Ben's tie, before smoothing his jacket around his shoulders, "I don't like this, Ami."

"It's for the best," I said.

"Not for you," he caught my hands, "Rethink this plan, bambino. This will follow you around for the rest of your life. The rest of our lives."

"If we can't get over it then the public can get over it. And…I have to accept the consequences. And this is the only way to do it."

Ben kissed my forehead, "Alright, mio caro."

 _Skyward:_ Please welcome to the stage: Prince Benedict of Italy.

 _The Prince enters the stage and waves to the crowd before shaking Skyward's hand and sitting down._

 _Skyward:_ So, how are you?

 _Benedict:_ I'm great!

 _Skyward:_ Really? Because let's be honest, it didn't look like it for a while there.

 _Benedict:_ You know, you're right. It was a little hard for a while, but it's getting a lot better now.

 _Skyward:_ I'm so happy to hear that. Can you explain to us what exactly happened?

 _Benedict:_ Well…to get the whole story, you have to go back to Nicollo's birth because a lot of things happened that Ami and I kept out of the media that we probably should have told people about. After Nic's birth, Ami went through what's called post-partum depression. It was…it was terrible. She couldn't get up out of bed and she was sad all the time and she felt so guilty that she couldn't take care of her son. Nothing we did seemed to help her and we didn't want people to know that she was struggling. We covered it up like it was something to be ashamed about, but that isn't what should have happened. Mental illness isn't something that we should have been ashamed of. It was just something that we shouldn't have felt the need to cover up.

 _Skyward:_ Right. Absolutely.

 _Benedict:_ But we did get her into the doctor and we started trying different pills and dosages to make her feel better. And in a way that was even worse. Different pills did different things to her. The first pill made her worse, the second made her tired all the time, the third made her paranoid, the fourth made her throw up. The fifth one, the one that she was on when she went to the ball made her irrational.

 _Skyward:_ Are you saying that the reason she had sex with Prince Maxon is because she was on drugs?

 _Benedict:_ I'm saying that it was a part of it. I'm sure there was more. Obviously the two dated and got very close to marrying so there had to be some attraction left. You don't just walk out of a steady relationship like that and there not be any feelings. But I think that it was also a high, for her at least. Once I realized she was depressed I took the alcohol out of the house, we had no drugs in the house, and I didn't want to pressure her intimately. I think she was forced to feel everything without anything to help her. I didn't give her a crutch, which was good, but it also made her look for something else to make her feel better.

 _Skyward:_ And she found that in Prince MAxon.

 _Benedict:_ She did.

 _Skyward:_ So how did you find out that this had happened?

 _Benedict:_ Well, I knew something was wrong by the time she got back to me during the ball, but when the babies came she thought the same thing everyone else did. She thought they were Maxon's, so she told me.

 _Skyward:_ I'm assuming you didn't take it well.

 _Benedict:_ No, I didn't. And I'll regret that for the rest of my life.

 _Skyward:_ *astounded* Why would you say that? I'm sure everyone feels that you did what anyone else would have done.

 _Benedict:_ Because I left her. She had twins and a one year old. We were in the car when I left her and she couldn't even get the door open to chase after me. I left her to raise newborns for two months with no help. And I knew that she had post-partum depression the last time and she very well could have had it again. I left her in a situation that no one should have had to go through. I told her not to call, not to come to me, and she didn't.

 _Skyward:_ So, until she appeared on television…

 _Benedict:_ I had not seen or heard from her at all. And when I saw her trying to protect the kids, I realized how wrong I was. She needed help and no one but me could really give it to her.

 _Skyward:_ What about Maxon?

 _Benedict:_ Even if he was going to admit that the kids were his, he wasn't going to embarrass his wife again by helping the woman they thought had just given him children.

 _Skyward:_ And that's the big question. Prince Maxon has said that they are his children, but now he has retracted that comment. Princess America hasn't said anything about the kids. So, what is the truth?

 _Benedict:_ Well. That was a way that I kind of sabotaged her more without meaning to. She had a paternity test very soon after the kids were born, but since I had made her promise not to call me she couldn't tell me the results. So, when I pulled her off the stroller and took her back home, she showed me the results.

 _Skyward:_ And they were?

 _Benedict:_ That the kids were mine. She showed me a test, I had my own test done. We went through several paternity tests because I couldn't believe it. They looked like they were Maxon's so much that I thought the tests were wrong.

 _Skyward:_ But, you obviously believe they're your kids now so what made you realize that they were yours.

 _Benedict:_ Well, I didn't realize they were mine exactly. I just realized that it didn't matter. One day, I was sitting with Nic and Edy and America saw us. She looked at me and asked, "Do I need to explain to Nic that you aren't his siblings' father or not?" And I said, "Excuse me?" She said something that just kind of woke me up. She pointed at Edy and said, "Is her father in front of her? Or across an ocean?" And I realized what a sad way that would be for these kids to live, especially when all the tests said that they were mine. It felt like I was trying to cheat them out of a father because of what their mother did when she wasn't in her right mind.

 _Skyward:_ So, you're saying that the tests said they were yours, but it wouldn't have mattered, in the end, if they weren't.

 _Benedict:_ Exactly. I had no excuse not to act like a father to them.

 _Skywaard:_ So, I think what everyone is thinking at this point is why the twins look so much like Maxon if they aren't his.

 _Benedict:_ That's what we wondered too. Edy does look a little bit like me, but next to her brother you start to see the similarities between them and Prince Maxon and his mother.

The way the doctor explained it to us is that, they shouldn't look like that with either father.

Skyward: What do you mean?

Benedict: Well, twins typically look at least like each other, but they don't. And they look nothing like their mother, which Ami is very bitter about, by the way.

Skyward: *laughs* I bet she is. So why do the kids look like that?

 _Benedict:_ We don't know. And we probably won't know. As far as my side of the family goes, we're pretty well documented, but with Ami's family a lot is up in the air because we don't know what a lot of them looked like. There are no pictures or anything of them because they were Fives and it was too expensive. So, the doctor's best explanation is that someone in her family had blonde hair, and since both red hair and blonde hair are recessive it was carried down the line, but never manifested.

 _Skyward:_ Until now.

 _Benedict:_ Yes.

 _Skyward:_ So, that leaves one more question before we go: when are you going to give that woman a baby that looks like her?

 _Audience:_ *laughs*

 _Benedict:_ Hopefully soon.

(*&*)?

Mom finally managed to pry the kids out of my arms, reminding me that she had a couple kids herself, "And some of them turned out alright."

As I watched the car go down the road, I felt arms wrap around my waist, "I think I figured out one last thing you have to give me before all is forgiven."

Even though Ben was talking about him forgiving me for cheating on him, his tone was light and joking, "And what is that?"

"Another baby."

I scoffed at him, turning in his arms, "Don't we have enough babies right now? Are we not busy enough for you? How can you think another baby is a good idea right now?"

He kissed me lightly, "You love the thought of another baby. Otherwise, you wouldn't still be in my arms, you'd be yelling at me from across the room."

"I love the idea of a baby, just not now."

"Whenever it happens then." I groaned. Ben kissed my neck, "Come on, bambino. Just like old times. Having sex and feeling the rush of not knowing whether a kid is going to come of it. Fucking each other silly knowing we could be making more than just love."

I laughed, "That was too well played. How long have you had that in your play book?"

"I was waiting for the right time to use it."

I hummed, "Maybe I could be persuaded."

Ben's hands were already starting to roam.

"If I recall," my hands went around his neck as I whispered to him, "Someone said they would beg me for a baby. While fucking me."

Then, I walked out of his arms, walking as confidently as I could toward the bedroom. "If you want a baby, you might just have to get on your knees for it."

He swept me up into his arms, carefully laying me across the bed. Then, he did what I had told him to do, getting on his knees by the bed before pulling my jeans off me. "I'll do whatever I have to, bambino."

I laughed knowing that we would be alright. That if nothing had driven us apart yet, nothing could.


	11. Chapter 11

The Ambassador Ch 11

He knocked on the door with a lot of hesistancy, pulling at the T-shirt he wasn't using to wearing. Just a normal man, coming to visit some friends, with a hat and sunglasses on.

The little girl that answered the door couldn't have been more than four years old, "Caio."

The man had to blink, a surge of longing for the little girl in front of him, "Is your mother here?"

The little girl tilted her head in a way that made her look very much like her mother, "You speak mama's language."

It was a clear statement, not a question, and the man had to remember that English was not the standard language here.

"Edylinna! What have I told you about answering the door by yourself?" a man appeared behind the girl.

"He speaks mama's language! And he doesn't have a camera!" Edylinna defended herself.

The dark haired man sighed before looking at the visitor, "Maxon?"

"Hi, Benedict." was all he could say, not taking his eyes off the girl who had wrapped her arms around her father's leg.

Ben looked down at the little girl as well, "Why don't you come inside? Ami's not home yet, but she should be here soon."

The little girl got excited, "TO take me to football?"

"Yes, to take you to football. Go and get ready."

Edy was up the stairs before anyone could blink.

Ben led Maxon inside, "Would you like some wine? A beer?"

"NO. No, thanks."

He was still looking up the stairs as if Edy would return and smile at him again. Or that maybe someone else would.

In the kitchen, two small boys ate a mid-day snack, one dark haired and the other light haired. A TV blared a kids show from the next room. A toddler with a slab of dark hair sat in a highchair, throwing food more than eating it. The whole thing was so…normal, like someone could pick it out of a TV sitcom and plop it right into the kitchen. The two boys stopped arguing over something to turn and look at the stranger. Ben offered Maxon a seat after cleaning up Edy's snack. MAxon sat next to the light-haired boy, who immediately offered him a piece of strawberry.

Maxon took it and ate it. The boy seemed satisfied that the man held no danger and went back to his own snack.

"I have to say: I'm surprised you're here." Ben said, handing Maxon a glass of water.

"I'm just as surprised as you."

Ben's eyebrows rose, "Yeah? Why do you say that?"

"I didn't imagine myself in this predicament. When I was younger…I…"

"We all thought we'd be in different places. I thought I would be parading around Europe still an eligible batchelor. Now, my oldest is five and my youngest is still on the way. Ami saw herself as a Six in a different country. You…well, I can see your point is all I'm saying."

"Kriss is pregnant," MAxon said, his eyes sliding to the light-haired boy beside him.

"Well, that's great. You all have been married, what? Seven years?"

"Yeah."

"Sounds like it's been a long time coming, especially for Royals."

"I suppose so."

Ben frowned, "You don't sound very happy about it."

"I guess I am?"

Ben tilted his head, "I think it's time for the boys to get ready for football, what do you think?"

The question was an obvious one: did Maxon want the little boy that looked exactly like him to be in the room when they talked about this? Ben wasn't going to take the kids away from him unless Maxon didn't want them to hear the conversation.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think it's time."

"Boys, go on up and get ready for football. Your mama's going to be home soon."

The boys jumped to the ground and raced off together to join their sister upstairs. They did not notice Maxon's stare as they left.

"Maxon?" Ben brought the man's attention back to him, "Why are you not happy? Kids are great."

"Kids are. But, watching Kriss…."

"It's different from hearing it," Ben nodded.

"When you all talk of America's pregnancies, she seemed so…full of life."

"She was. She is. She's very happy during them and full of energy. She's up before the sun rises and doesn't go to bed well after midnight. It's after the pregnancies that it's bad."

"She got post-partum again?" Maxon looked at the toddler, still siting in the high-chair, content to smash a bowl on the table.

"Yeah. Not as bad as with Nicollo, but…it was certainly there."

"And she still wanted another baby?"

Ben hummed, "You know how stubborn America is. She really wants a red-head to carry on the Singer legacy. She really wants just one red-headed boy so that she can name him Shalom after her father. All of these Italian names, and then Shalom."

They both laughed.

"And you didn't try to stop her? Tell her it's not good for her?"

"She persuaded me. My job is to take care of her, but it's also to make her happy. If she wants to honor her father…I'm not going to stop her. I never met him, but I know how much he meant to her."

"I met him once. She is the exact copy of him. The same easy humor. The same friendliness. The same charisma."

Ben nodded thoughtfully, "America's not like that a lot any more. Sometimes when she's with Marlee I'll see it. When she's with Celeste I definitely see it. She reminds me more of her mother now. Always worried and looking for something that's going to harm her children, real or imaginary." He shrugged, "Maybe that's just how mothers work."

"Maybe."

"How is Kriss?"

"Always tired. Moody. Bitter that I did this to her."

Ben laughed, "Sounds right to me."

"I guess. It just feels…wrong. When she told me, she was so excited, like it would fix everything between us and…it didn't. Now that she's realized that she's scared."

"Just like you are?"

"I don't know how to be a dad. For God's sake I didn't even want her kids." Maxon shook his head, throwing his hat on the table before running his fingers through his hair. "I shouldn't be having this conversation. Especially with you."

"Because you wanted America's kids. Not Kriss'."

Maxon remained silent.

Ben nodded, looking everywhere except at Maxon, "I understand. She's a hard woman to love. Even harder to learn not to love. I once told her that you would get over her, but even then I knew it wasn't true. No one ever fully gets over her. Truthfully, you were the stronger man."

"How so?"

"You left her. When she cheated on you and you found out, you broke off the engagement. I can't do that. I can't leave her."

"You did."

"For two months. And when I knew she needed help I ran right back into her arms."

"You have a family with her."

"In a way, don't you too?"

Maxon looked down at his lap, "I gave them up."

"You gave them up because she made you."

Maxon peered at him, "You don't sound happy about that."

"I'm happy about it because I got two more kids out of it. It was the last thing I really needed to start forgiving her. But for you: no, I wasn't happy about it. Those kids will grow up not knowing who made them, and they'll always have to wonder if the rumors are true. We can't tell them the truth, not without endangering your line of succession, but they will see the similarities every time they pull up a picture of you. She forced you out of their lives, but you'll never be truly out of it. There will always be rumors."

"She didn't force me out of anything. I let myself out of it."

"And let me guess why: for her?"

Maxon swallowed, "I guess. At least partially. She just looked so worried and scared, and after what I had done to her with the reporters…. And it was partially for them, so they didn't have to have two dads and two countries and two royal lines. But it was mostly for me. To clear away the guilt I felt for…everything."

"She's got us wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" Ben asked.

"Always will," Maxon's voice sounded bitter. "You could still leave her without any backlash from the public."

"I could."

"Please don't." Maxon pleaded.

The two men looked at each other for a long minute before they heard the front door open.

In Italian America said, " _I'm home!"_

There was a mad scramble of kids rushing to greet her and she smiled, kissing each on the head.

Ben stood up to greet his wife, kissing her softly, "Maxon's here."

"I'm sorry, who?" But then she saw him, their eyes meeting just like they always had. She looked different than she had during the Selection. She had aged nicely, but having four kids and another on the way had changed her. Beyond the small bump on her stomach, she seemed shorter, almost like she had shrunk to let her children grow. Worry lines stood ever present on her forehead and around her eyes. Carrying around four children had added some weight to her and her eyes seemed both tired and alert. But that wasn't the biggest change in her that Maxon could see. She looked at him with predatory calmness. It was a calculating look, one that told him she was not happy to have him in her house, near her children, and talking to her husband.

"We've been talking," Ben said, trying to kill the awkwardness that had pierced even through the children's joy of having their mother home.

The driver of the car came up the sidewalk with America's briefcase in hand, and America looked over her shoulder at him, " _Guiseppe, I wonder if you wouldn't mind taking the kids to football by yourself. And then maybe getting them some gelato on the way home? My treat."_

" _Of course, ma'am."_

The kids, ecstatic at the thought of football _and_ gelato raced to the car, kicking the black and white ball between them on the way.

The door closed ever-so-softly behind them.

(*&*)?

"What is going on here?" I asked, my voice staying as soft as I could make it. I took off my work jacket and threw it over my briefcase before quietly walking past them both into the kitchen.

"Nothing." Ben said, "I told you. We've just been talking."

I rounded on them suddenly, unable to control my rage anymore, "God damn it! Why are you here?!"

Maxon swallowed roughly, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You don't know?! Jesus, you had a damn twelve hour flight and you don't know why you're here?!"

"Kriss is pregnant." Maxon looked down at my stomach and I pressed a protective hand over it.

"What does that have to do with us?"

"I'm so sorry," Maxon said, stepping back towards the door. He looked to Ben, but Ben didn't see it. He was too busy watching me.

He was always watching me now.

"Get out." I said.

"I just came to talk," Maxon raised his hands.

"I thought you didn't know why you came! Get out! I won't have you coming around here and sparking rumors again. I don't need another rush of reporters outside! Not when the twins can understand them now!"

"I never meant to-."

"Don't even finish, Maxon! Whatever you meant to do, or didn't mean to do, it doesn't matter. You still did it."

Maxon stilled, "Is that the same thing that you tell yourself when you feel guilty that you cheated on your husband? That you didn't mean to, but that doesn't matter? Because you still did it?"

I was shaking now, "Get! Out!"

I pushed on him, shoving him towards the door. My toddler wailed behind me, upset because everyone else was upset, but I didn't listen to him. I kept pushing and pushing until he was out of my house, and hopefully out of my life.

(*&*)?

The next house guest was another one that I wasn't expecting, but I knew she was my reckoning. She came a week after her son, knocking on the door so softly that I almost didn't hear it.

We stared at each other for a long moment when I answered the door, before she droke the tension, "I didn't know if you were going to be home or not."

"The baby was kicking all last night. Ben wanted me to stay home and get some rest."

"That was sweet of him," she said, stepping into the house.

"Yes. He is sweet."

"And a good father?"

"The best."

We stayed quiet for a second, her surveying me and me not knowing what to do.

"Would you—Would you like something to eat?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

I led her into the kitchen, trying to think of what to give her. What to give a queen. Ben's mother had been to dinner with us, obviously, but she was family. Queen Amberley, as much as I had once wished her to be, was not.

"Anything is fine, dear," she said, sitting at the table.

"Some fruit? I can cut some up."

"Perfect."

I washed my hands before grabbing the fruit out of the fridge.

"I have to be honest, dear," Queen Amberley began, "I am not here on the most friendly of terms."

I nodded, "I figured."

"You see, America—or, I'm sorry, do most people call you Ami now?"

I swallowed, "America is fine."

"Well, you see, America, I live by a very simple rule: Fool me once, good for you. Fool me twice, and never again."

I took out the cutting board as she continued, "So, when you cheated on Maxon, I thought it was just clouded judgement. But, then you cheated on your own husband. And brought my boy into the fray as well."

I leaned against the counter, my face turned away from her.

"Well. What can I say? That's twice. And you don't get a second chance from me. But, let me be clear, America. I am not here to talk to a mother. I am here to talk to the woman who not only risked her own marriage, but my son's as well."

"Why now?"

"Why now? You've got to be joking. You kick him out when he is trying to do the right thing, trying to do penance to your family for what happened and you don't think you'll have to answer for it?"

"He put my kids in danger."

"Why don't you think of someone else besides your children for one God-damned second."

I twirled around, shocked at the words that came out of her mouth.

"His marriage-."

"I don't care about his marriage!"

She laughed, "Oh, but don't you? Isn't there something in you that is thrilled that his marriage is in shambles? That you wrecked his world? I saw it in your eyes when you came to his wedding. The ultimate pay-back for him not picking you was to make him miserable. And isn't it ironic that the same thing leaving his marriage in shambles is the thing you did to make him not choose you?"

"I didn't realize that, but now that you mention it: yeah, that does make me happier."

"You've turned into one sick woman, haven't you, America?"

"I did what I had to do for the twins."

"Oh, but this has been going on long before that, hasn't it? Going to the wedding, getting the Italians on your side, even those pictures of you telling Maxon to shape up. How much did you pay the reporter to take those pictures? The ones that made him lose his job."

I slouched against the counter, "Fifty thousand. And his wife a new heart."

"Jesus Christ, America. Since when do you play God?"

"I wasn't. I was doing him a favor."

"Bull shit. You've done whatever you could to rationalize what you've done. Getting Marlee to Italy was kind of you. Too bad it will sacrifice ten years' worth of Eights dying to pay for it."

"Stop."

"No, dear. I won't." She stood up, taking the knife away from me and cutting up the fruit herself. I leaned on the counter to help support myself.

"You've got a lot to pay for, darling. How unfortunate is it that no one will find out about your transgressions. Unless…"

"What do you want?"

"I want you to do what's right, America. I want you to own up to what you did. I want you to know that I know what you did to my son. I want you to pay, just like you thought Maxon should. Don't make my son the bad guy, dear. The only bad guy here is you."

"It takes two to make a kid, Amberley. Your precious son is just as guilty as I am."

"I understand that he's guilty. He's paying for that. He's also paying for sending those reporters after you. I'm not blaming you for his part. Or for protecting your kids. I'm blaming you for intentionally trying to destroy my son's life."

She put the fruit in the bowl, "Tell me, dear, truthfully: did you marry Benedict because he made you happy? Or because marrying him would show Maxon that you could succeed? That it didn't matter if he married you or not, you would still be royalty?"

"What does it matter to you?" I snapped.

"Because that would mean you threw two men under the bus instead of one. You may have hurt Maxon, but if you married Benedict without loving him, you have hurt him more. So, tell me: do you, or do you not, love Prince Benedict?"

I walked slowly to the table, using whatever I could find for support. I sat down heavily in the chair, "He was a surprise. A curve ball I didn't see coming. I had this whole plan, a plan to wreck MAxon as best as I could. But then he came along. And he made me smile with all of his antics and jokes. I fell for him before I knew what was happening. It was so sudden and so deep," I shook my head, "I didn't think it was possible after Maxon. To fall in love with someone just as deeply, just as passionately. He made me put all my plans on hold. But sometimes… sometimes that want, that need, to ruin him came back."

She took a dep breath, "Congratulations, America. You've ruined everyone."

She stepped towards the door, before stopping and turning, "Don't forget, dear. It's the people we love the most that we can hurt the most."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have a feeling that you already know."

And then she was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

The Ambassador Ch 12

It was a month after Queen Amberley came to my door when it happened. I was with the twins getting ready to go to their first professional football game when I got the call. The call that started the worst day of my life.

" _Princess America? This is Nina Pendolo, I'm a nurse at the_ Roman Pediatric Hospital _. I'm so sorry to tell you this, but your son is here."_

" _Nic?"_ I was so shocked that I couldn't move.

" _Yes, ma'am. He was in a car accident."_ Why was he in the car? Oh, the soccer game. Nic was going to meet us there with his friend. " _Ma'am, it doesn't look good."_

" _How bad?"_ My heart pounded, my hands were clammy, and I started having trouble breathing. I put my hand on my stomach, trying to calm myself for the baby.

" _Internal bleeding. Broken femur. Broken ribs. They're taking him for a brain scan now. You need to come down here."_

I shook my head, trying to clear it, " _Of course."_

" _Should I call his dad for you?"_

" _No. No. I'll do it. He should hear it from me."  
"Okay, ma'am."  
"Nina! What about the other people in the car?"_

" _I can't disclose that information, ma'am."_

" _Please, Nina."_

Her voice got lower, " _They're dead, ma'am_."

(*&*)?

Nic was gone by the time I got there, his siblings behind me. I had come in, a running doctor almost running into my swollen stomach.

Nina met me in the hallway, a brain surgeon covered in blood following behind her.

" _Princess. I think you should sit down,"_ the surgeon said, and immediately I burst into tears.

" _No. No. NO, not him."_

" _Princess!"_ they both tried to catch me as I fell to the ground. Falling hard from my own dead weight.

The last thing I heard was my children screaming and a voice yelling, "Ami!"

(*&*)?

I woke up in a hospital bed, beeping surrounding me.

My eyes opened and immediately found Ben.

"Ben."

He was immediately by my side, smoothing my hair, "Bambino. It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

I looked down my body and saw too much of my feet. Tears reached my eyes, remembering this God-awful day.

"What happened?"

Ben paused for a second, before reaching for a wheelchair, "Let's get you in here. I'll explain everything."

We were rolling down the hallway, me wrapped in a hospital gown and a robe.

"First of all," Ben began, "Marlee is with the kids. Your mother is helping her, your siblings are coming back to Rome as soon as they can. That front is taken care of. Nic…" he paused, trying to collect himself, "There was a bleed in his brain and there was too much damage. He didn't make it a half hour through the surgery.

"The baby... When you fell, the baby got hurt and became distressed. They were forced to take the baby out."

"It's too soon," I whispered, "The baby… he was just five months. He can't…."

Ben rolled me into a room full of incubators and machines. "This is our baby, Ami. This is our baby boy."

He was tiny, So tiny that his arm was about the size of my pinky finger. He was as red as his hair, his Singer hair, and hooked up to so many machines it seemed cruel.

I couldn't take my eyes off him, even as I started to tremble, "How long? How long do we have with him?"

"Another hour. At most."

"An hour?"

"He has less than a two percent chance of surviving it through the night."

My hand went to my mouth, trying to cover up my sobs.

Ben's hands brushed my hair out of my face, smoothing the tears away from my cheeks. "Ami…Ami. Those tubes are just prolonging the inevitable. He should die comfortably. He should die in your arms."

"But, if the tubes are keeping him alive…."

"You should have the chance to hold your child, Ami. I got to hold him for just a second before they took him. You should get that chance too."

I shook my head, dissolving into tears before nodding.

Within minutes, a doctor had unhooked my son and placed him in my arms. I held him carefully in my arms as he looked up at me. His breaths came out as wheezes, but his death was peaceful. Like he had fallen asleep. And he would wake up soon.

But he wouldn't.

And as I sat in a wheelchair, holding my dead infant son and thinking of the other laying in a morgue, I couldn't help but wonder if I had been cursed.

(*&*)?

I hugged myself as Ben welcomed the royal couple and thanked them for coming, but I couldn't say anything. Do anything. I just stood there in my black, sleek dress with my hair immaculate. A façade to hide the crumbling soul beneath the skin.

"America!" a familiar voice called, and a man ran past the line of people that had come to the funeral. Maxon broke decorum, rushing to me and enveloping me in his arms.

I finally broke down, burying my now red face into his neck as my shoulders shook. His fingers carded through my hair, breaking away the image I had tried so hard to portray.

"I can't imagine," Maxon whispered, not letting go, even as the cameras snapped away. "It will be okay. Maybe not now, not soon, but it will eventually be okay."

I nodded, even though I didn't believe him.

"I have to stay here," Ben said, and I turned and looked at him. His face was blank for the cameras, but his eyes spoke volumes of the hurt and envy. "Maybe you could take Ami inside for me? The kids would probably do better with their mother by their side."

"Are you sure?" Maxon asked.

But Ben's face had cleared. He leaned down, wiping a tear away from my cheek before kissing where it had run. "Yeah. Whatever she needs."

Then, Maxon led me away from the most selfless, caring man I knew.

(*&*)?

"I don't even know what to do with her at this point," Maxon sighed.

I propped the phone up with my shoulder as I helped Edylinna into a dress, "You should probably start by apologizing."

"I did!"

"Obviously not if she's still mad at you!"

"It's not my fault that she's irrational!"

I laughed before sending Edy downstairs, "It kind of is, Maxon."

"Okay, I'll give you that. I did get her pregnant, but this is just beyond a pregnancy thing."

"Maybe you shouldn't a married a total bitch then."

"Oh, just a half birch then?"

"I resent that."

He laughed before cussing, "I have a meeting in ten minutes."

"Do you need to hang up?"

"No, I'm on cellular. We're just going to take a little trip."

"I love trips. Edy and I are going to go on one today."

"Yeah? Where to?"

"The dentist. Don't tell her."

"She's got to get cavities filled?"

"No, thank God. Just a checkup. The cavities come later this month."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Ben convinced me to do a big birthday party for the twins. We've invited their whole grade to an amusement park."

"Wow." The line was silent for a while, "DO you…do you think that since you and I are, you know, friends now that I could maybe get them something?"

"Like a birthday present?"

"Yeah."

"I don't see why not. Just nothing too big, okay? They only met you twice."

(*&*)?

 _Transcript of_ The Late Show _. Hosted by Galan Skyward._

 _Skyward:_ So, everyone by now knows that Princess America Glowdonio of Italy and Prince MAxon Schreave of Illea have struck up a friendship ever since the funeral of two of Princess America's sons. The two have quite a history together, from almost marrying, cheating on their spouses with each other, to rumors of her twins being his. Until recently, if anyone had said they would be friends and just that I would have laughed. Many people would have laughed. America and Maxon would have probably laughed. Yet, they're proving everyone wrong. Princess America, a woman known for her social media, has also gotten out prince into social media. And one of his first Tweets was this: " AmiGlow still won't answer the phone because of the birthday gifts I got her kids. But her daughter answers every time to thank me for the pony."

This prompted Princess America to respond with this: " PrinceMax should watch what he sends to my kids, considering he's about to have one of his own. What's that I hear? A DRUM SET?! #gottostartthemyoung #bestauntever?".

And apparently we aren't the only ones amused. Princess America's husband later tweeted: "I have two more children than I originally thought. But they're up for adoption if anyone is interested."

(*&*)?

When I saw the footage, I knew instantly what was going on, why Maxon had sounded off on the phone, why he hadn't been thrilled about the baby. The look, the tiredness, the hunched shoulders spoke of more than a couple sleepless nights.

"She's suffering," I whispered to Ben, not wanting to say the words any louder, almost fearing that someone would hear them, even though we were in our own house.

Ben looked over at me, brushing my hair out of my face, "Yeah. She is. We should help."

I looked at the couple on the screen. Maxon looked reasonably thrilled as he showed his heir off to his nation, but Kriss showed none of her husband's fake enthusiasm. She was barely able to keep herself up.

"Yeah. Yeah, we should."


	13. Chapter 13

The Ambassador Ch. 13

"Princess America! Princess America! Why have you come to Illea after all these years?" the reporter asked as I stepped off the plane with a twin's hand in each of mine.

I smiled my best princess smile, "To help with the baby, of course."

"Did Prince Maxon ask for your help?" another one called.

"Oh, no! In fact, if you all are live this is the first he's hearing of me coming." The news reporters blew up, asking questions over themselves, but I just smiled, "Have a good day."

Ben laughed, trading Guiseppe in his arms to pick up one of our bags. An armoured car rolled up in front of the air plane and we all crawled into it. The cameras were still flashing when the vehicle drove away.

(*&*)?

She didn't move when I opened the window in a flurry of motion.

"It's time to get up, Kriss."

"Go away." She waved at me, feebly.

"No. I shan't." I went over the radio and started playing music, "Your kid is hungry."

"I don't want it."

"I know. But it's not a question of want. He's your son. You're his mother. He needs you. And whether you like it or not, you need him." I looked her over, the greasy hair and stained clothing. "Funny how that works."

"I can't see him. Or feed him. Or anything."

"So, you want me to?"

She didn't move.

It was time to take more drastic measures. "Come on, Kriss. I already stole your husband, you want me to steal your baby too?"

"Shut up."

"No, Kriss. I can't."

"Go away."

"Not until you're out of bed. Or your hormones settle back down. Whichever one comes first."

Kriss just groaned, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why, Kriss?"

"I don't have the energy to," she all but whispered.

"We'll work on that."

(*&*)?

"Exercise helps. So does the sun."

"I hate this."

"That's what I said when Ben made me do this too. But, it does help. A walk every day puts you back on your feet faster than you'd think."

I held onto Kriss' arm, almost pulling her along, even though I was walking as slow as I could.

Two weeks of yanking her out of bed, of trying to get her to eat, of bringing her to doctors was starting to pay off. At least for now.

Kriss had still not fed her baby, or looked at it, but every afternoon I would bring the baby into her room. We would sit in the bed with her, the baby cooing at the woman who refused to turn her head towards him.

"This is normal," I always reminded her.

She would never acknowledge that she heard me.

(*&*)?

"She won't take her pills?" Maxon ran his fingers through his hair.

"Not without me jamming them down her throat."

"And you're sure that we're doing all that we can?"

"No."

"No? You're not sure? What else could we be doing?"

"You could go visit her." There was silence for a minute, "It's been two weeks since she's seen her husband."

"She doesn't want to see me."

"And you think she wants to see me?" I asked him, astonished.

"But you're helping her! I—I can't. I don't know how. I don't know what to do! She hates you _and_ me, and only one of us knows how to help."

"You help by being there, Maxon. You help by walking her around the garden. You help her by smiling. You help by letting her know that she still has a husband."

"I married her out of spite, America! She never had a husband."

"Then I suggest you start small and start acting like she's a _human being._ "

Maxon stayed quiet.

"No body deserves to go through this alone. Trust me. So, shape up and try talking to her."

(*&*)?

"Ami?" Ben looked down at where I was sprawled across the floor, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to save a marriage that I wrecked."

"Oh?" he smiled at me, "And how is that going?"

I looked at the door that I was sitting next to, "I haven't heard any yelling for a while now. That's a good thing, right?"

He shrugged, "I have no idea." He sat down next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We stayed quiet for a minute before Ben looked at my quizzically, "This is a weird situation, right?"

"Absolutely."

"This is weird."

"So weird."

Even so, we stayed at the door to the couple's room. Listening for any sign that things were going wrong.

(*&*)?

I watched Kriss for the next three weeks, and, slowly, I could feel her watching me. After a couple months of suffering and doctors visits and walks in the garden, I saw her old observant and meticulously brilliant self return.

"I need to make a public appearance soon," she said one day, holding my arm as we walked in the garden.

"I would recommend you wait a while longer but it's your choice."

"I've already been out of the public too long."

"Even without your illness, people would understand. You have a new child, and those take up the majority of your time."

"And yet, my baby knows you as more of a mother figure than me."

"Does that bother you, Kriss?"

She became silent for a while, "You're happy here."

"I am."

"With my husband."

"No, Kriss. I mean…yeah, I guess he's part of it, but that's just as a friend."

"You're sure about that?"

I nodded, "Completely. We were friends to start with, and we will be friends to end with."

"I suppose there's some…irony to that."

"I know I hurt you. I hurt you both and my husband and my kids and our countries….I was stupid."

Kriss shook her head, "I always thought you were cruel. That you knew exactly what you were doing, but now that I've gone through the same thing…You weren't cruel or stupid. You were just sick. You were down and you needed someone to pick you up."

"Doesn't excuse me."

"No. No, it doesn't. But…you're not stupid. Never have been."

"Thanks. I guess."

Kriss shrugged, "That doesn't explain why you're so happy here."

It was my time to shrug, "I've got my husband and my kids and a sense of purpose."

"Helping me?"

"Helping you."

Kriss continued walking, "And a country to take care of? Making sure that Italy has a bright future? Or your children? Those aren't good purposes?"

"Yes, but selfish ones?"

"How is raising children selfish?"

"If they flourish I flourish. Same with my country."

"But helping someone like me, someone you should hate—"

"I don't hate you."

"That makes you feel better about what you've done."

"It…relieves some guilt."

"We've turned ourselves into quite the bitches."

I laughed, "Yeah. We have. And there's no way of taking it back."

"Only a way forward."

I raised my eyebrows, "You've been thinking."

"I've had a lot of time in bed."

"And what has your brain cooked up?"

"Well." She smirked at me, "The Italian Embassy just opened up. With enough space for a family."

"You want me to be the ambassador again so that Maxon can see his kids."

"And you can help a lot of people through your work. Think about it for a while. Being a princess is impressive enough, but adding Ambassador to your title might be nice."

"Hmm. The Ambassador."

"Has a ring to it."

I smiled, "…The Ambassador."


End file.
